Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Andrews) Vanilla, Vanilla planifolia, formely known by the rather appropriate name V. fragrans (Salisb.) Ames, is a large green-stemmed creeping or climbing perennial plant of the orchid family. The popular flavoring material is obtained from the dried, cured, full-sized but not fully ripe pods. The pods have no flavor when picked, for the fragrant aroma develops during the curing process. Most of the fragrance resides in the seeds and the oily liquid surrounding the seeds. The generic name Vanilla is derived from the Spanish vainilla, a diminutive of vaina, a pod; its specific epithet, planifolia, refers to the broad, flat leaf of the plant.