Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast
Jun 1, 2026 · 32 min · 12 segments
Vanilla is anything but plain. In fact, this orchid might be one of the sexiest plant in the rainforest. In this episode, Dr. Mark Plotkin traces the ethnobotanical history of vanilla, first used by…
Mark PlotkinHost
Today, I want to talk about the most sexual plant in the rainforest, and that is the vanilla orchid.
Although most orchid species are found in the tropics, some occur as far north as the Arctic Circle.
In addition to their legendary beauty, the most striking characteristic of the orchids is their incredible diversity.
Orchids, with almost thirty thousand species, are the largest family of flowering plants.
The first time I encountered this extraordinary flower, which was in a botanical garden in the Colombian Andes, it looked as if it would like nothing better than to bite my hand and suck my blood.
There exists a famous specimen of the Grammatophyllum orchid growing in the Singapore Botanical Garden, which is not only over ten feet, but weighs well over a ton.
Today, I want to talk about the most sexual plant in the rainforest, and that is the vanilla orchid.
Although most orchid species are found in the tropics, some occur as far north as the Arctic Circle.
In addition to their legendary beauty, the most striking characteristic of the orchids is their incredible diversity.
Orchids, with almost thirty thousand species, are the largest family of flowering plants.
The first time I encountered this extraordinary flower, which was in a botanical garden in the Colombian Andes, it looked as if it would like nothing better than to bite my hand and suck my blood.
There exists a famous specimen of the Grammatophyllum orchid growing in the Singapore Botanical Garden, which is not only over ten feet, but weighs well over a ton.
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