We are the first and only vanilla farm on St Kitts and Nevis, using only Nevisian vanilla orchids. So our vanilla was born, hand pollinated and nurtured on Nevis, the Caribbean island paradise.

Nevis, located at 17.10° N latitude and 62.35° W longitude, has an ideal climate and terrain for growing vanilla. The right amount of rain, some 1,200mm per year, humidity which averages 80% and a temperature that doesn’t go below 20 centigrade. And a dry and cooler period to stimulate the budding of the flowers. Vanilla prefers higher altitudes which are also available on Nevis.

We are selling vanilla extract and the beans will be available next season. Please sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on Vanilla Paradise Nevis.

We only utilise locally sourced materials from the dried coconut husks and mango leaves that are ideal for mulch to the hard wood posts that are sourced sustainably from Mount Nevis. We monitor water needs closely and have our own cistern filled with rain water. The twine that we use to help the vanilla grow upwards is from sisal and we use no herbicides at all. We also have 3 local cats, Vani, Nilla and Cupcake, who help keep the rodents at bay!

It is a long process, the vanilla vines needs to be 4 to 5 years old and then the flower must be hand pollinated. Once pollinated the vanilla pod or bean takes 9 months to mature before it can be harvested – and then 3-6 months to cure and dry. We should be at commercial production levels in 2025 and have pods to sell in early 2026.

It’s a gradual process as the vanilla vines were not planted all at the same time, so they come to maturity at different times. We plan to pollinate some 30-50 pods per vine, the quantity will depend on how strong the vines is. Then the other factor in the equation is how many vines do we have that can produce flowers.

Luckily yes! But we have no idea how the vanilla vines were brought to Nevis. We have evidence that it was grown on Nevis in the early 20th century but probably not on a commercial scale.

Growing vanilla requires patience. After planting a cutting, it can take up to four years for the plants to flower. Each flower must be hand-pollinated, and successfully pollinated flowers will produce a bean that takes around 9 months to mature.  If you grow from seed the process takes some 7 years.

The vines themselves grow quite quickly. They can grow 30 foot or 10m a year so you can almost see them growing in front of your eyes. The vanilla plant is a tropical vine capable of reaching lengths exceeding 100 feet or 30m.

Vanilla is an epiphytic orchid, which means it likes to grow upwards, normally attaching itself to trees. Unlike other orchids, vanilla does not feed itself from the aerial root system but from it’s terrestrial root system.  It gets nutrients from mulch it finds on the forest floor.   Mulch needs to be well drained and loosely packed.  We use coconut husks and mango leaves as this is what we have in Nevis.

Yes, vanilla cultivation is very labour-intensive. The plants need training, and a lot of care  goes into pollination, harvesting, and ongoing maintenance. Flowers must be pollinated in the morning that  they open, which gives only a 6-hour window.

Our plants are regularly checked and are perfectly healthy. The main concern is fusarium, a rot caused by excessive water. While slugs and snails may cause some damage, they are not harmful. We’ve also installed electric fences to protect against Nevis’s indigenous Vervet monkeys.– we don’t want to take the risk!

While vanilla can be grown from seeds, it’s rarely done since propagation by cuttings is much easier. This adds to the challenges of growing vanilla, as you must find a healthy plant to start with.

The natural pollinator, the minute Melipona bee native to Mexico, is not extinct but seriously challenged. Pollination posed a dilemma for Europeans who brought the plant back to Europe. In 1843, Edmond Albius, a young, enslaved boy on Bourbon Island (now La Réunion), successfully imitated pollination using a small twig. Since then, all vanilla worldwide is hand-pollinated. Check out our video on hand-pollination.

Orchids flower once a year in spring, coinciding with the end of the dry season on Nevis.

The flowers are small, roughly the size of a thumb to the first joint, making pollination challenging. They are discreet yellow/green rather than the flashy, showy flowers that we are accustomed to in orchids.

Vanilla beans are hand-picked after 9 months post-pollination, when the tips turn golden, indicating maturity. Check out our video here to see how to pick green beans.

A good vanilla pod measures around 17 cm but can reach up to 24 cm. Smaller pods will still contain a good amount of vanillin and can be a great buy.

No, green pods are odorless and inedible.

·       4 years for a plant to produce its first flower.

·       9 months for the bean to develop after pollination.

·       3-6 months for curing to achieve the desired aroma and flavour.
Total time: 5 years.

All seeds are scraped from the pod for cooking, but the pod itself contains fragrance and vanillin, suitable for making extract, vanilla sugar, vanilla salt, vanilla honey, and vanilla rum. Se our video here.

Vanillin (C8H8O3) is the primary flavour and aroma compound in vanilla beans, giving them their characteristic sweet, creamy and slightly spicy fragrance. It is a type of phenolic aldehyde developed and intensified during curing and aging, allowing the compound to fully mature.   It occurs naturally in vanilla beans, as well as very small amounts in other plants like the Tonka bean.  It can also be synthesized artificially.

Vanilla comes from the pod or bean of the vanilla orchid plant. There are three types or vanilla orchid:

Vanilla planifolia:  which is the most widely cultivated species, originally native to Mexico and Central America.

Vanilla tahitensis: A hybrid species cultivated primarily in French Polynesia.

Vanilla pompona: Grown in smaller quantities in the Caribbean and South America.

The orchid produces small  delicate, pale yellow-green flowers that must be pollinated to develop the pods.

Vanilla grows well between 20degrees north and 20 degrees south, so in tropical regions around the world. The leading producer is Madagascar where some 70% of the worlds production comes from. Other producers are Indonesia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea and more recently India, Uganda.

And of course vanilla thrives on Nevis 😊

Vanilla has many uses, including in cooking, baking (vanilla ice cream is the world’s most popular flavour), and beverages like Coca-Cola, where it’s a key ingredient. It also enhances flavours in both sweet and savoury dishes and is used in fragrances such as perfumes, air fresheners, and soaps.

The price of dried (black) vanilla pods fluctuates globally, typically ranging from $400 to $600 per kilo, depending on global production and quality/size of the pod.

Vanilla beans should be stored in a glass tube with an airtight screw top to maintain their freshness and aroma. Many beans are sold in glass tubes with hermetically sealed tops, which are ideal for storage. Keep the tube in a cool, dark place—never refrigerate, as this can introduce moisture and lead to mould.

By law, producers must include a sell-by date, often set at around two years. However, with proper storage, vanilla beans can last well beyond this period. Some traders suggest they can last up to 20 years, though it’s likely you’ll use them long before that!

If you notice mould on the beans, you can gently wipe it off with a cloth dipped in alcohol. Should the beans show signs of aging, such as becoming brittle or very dry, it’s best to use them promptly to ensure you still enjoy their full flavour.

Pure vanilla is extracted from vanilla beans, containing hundreds of natural compounds, creating a complex flavour. Artificial vanilla, made synthetically, includes only vanillin, lacking the depth of pure vanilla but is much cheaper. Pure vanilla works best for rich, flavour-focused recipes, while artificial vanilla is a budget-friendly choice for general baking.

Vanilla is the second most valuable spice (after saffron) for its complex, rich flavour and labour-intensive cultivation process. Each flower is hand-pollinated, and the beans require months of curing to develop their taste, making it rare and costly compared to other spices.

You can watch our video on how to choose a bean like a pro here.

You can watch a video on how to split a bean like a pro here.

Find the booking form here:

The flowering season on Nevis is between January and late May.  The harvesting season is December but there is plenty to see throughout the year.

Visit our shade houses, home to over thousands of vanilla plants, and explore our sustainable farming practices. Learn about vanilla's amazing historical journey from Mexico to the world as well as the process from flower to bean to extract. Meet our dedicated team. Discover unique local art pieces, say hello to Toni, our beloved canine vanilla fan, and enjoy a vanilla-infused beverage and cookie.

We are located next to the historic Hamilton Sugar Mill ruins. Directions will be given upon tour booking confirmation.

Comfortable walking shoes and a sun hat.

See our booking form page for full details.

2 hours approximately.