Vanilla from Tenerife
Photograph: Carsten W. Lauritsen para EL DÍA
The secrets of the vanilla flower
Vanilla cultivation at Finca la Canopea was born out of Pascal’s passion for exotic and aromatic spice plants, discovered off the beaten track during his explorations in tropical latitudes. In order to successfully produce vanilla, it was necessary to acclimatise the vanilla plant, find its niche, tame it and carefully treat the fruits produced through assisted reproduction.
Vanilla flowers are pollinated by hand
The vanilla plant is one of the few plants that requires human intervention to produce the aroma that has been so coveted throughout the history of the spice route. In its country of origin (among the Aztecs), an orchid bee ensures pollination. Elsewhere in the world, a way had to be found to replace this pollinator. It was at the Botanical Garden of Liège, in Belgium, that it was demonstrated that it was possible to pollinate the vanilla flower manually. But it was on the island of Réunion that the technique now used throughout the world was perfected.
Producing vanilla pods, a long-term endeavour
The vanilla plant flowers for three to four months (here, at Finca La Canopea, between April and July). The flowers appear in clusters of up to twenty per inflorescence, but they open rather randomly. Each flower is short-lived: if pollination does not take place on the morning it opens, it will fail. The flower will close without producing a pod. Meticulous daily monitoring of each plant is therefore necessary to ensure that no flowers are missed and that pollination is abundant.
In tropical countries, this role is mainly performed by women. The so-called matchmakers can pollinate up to 1,500 flowers per morning, which is quite a task! At Finca la Canopea, Pascal plays the role of the bee throughout the season to produce one of the most prized and precious aromas in the world. Feel free to come and see him at work! We organise guided tours throughout the year.
In 2024, Tenerife newspaper EL DÍA published a feature article on our vanilla cultivation.
In 2024, the Canarian television broadcast Ponte al día devoted a report to our vanilla cultivation.
In 2025, Spanish television devoted a report to our vanilla cultivation in its programme ‘Aquí la tierra’.
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