The plant is Vanilla planifolia, which is an orchid, not a bean. It is native to rainforest areas of Mexico, which will give you an idea of its cultural requirements. It is tropical, not subtropical, so growing it outdoors successfully will depend on where in Florida you live. It is an epiphyte, meaning it grows on trees, not in soil. I suggest you tie it in close contact to a tree with fishing line. Don't bother with soil. Spray it with water daily unless there is rain. Don't worry if you miss watering sometimes. Spray it occasionally with a soluble plant food diluted to half strength. Eventually, it should start to grow and send out roots which will cling tightly to the tree. During the cool part of winter, if it gets cool, don't water. If there is a cold spell, cover it with a blanket. It may not bloom for a couple of years or more while getting established. The vanilla "beans" are the seed pods which follow the flowers. Jim

Thanks everyone. I will try the other board. I had not even thought of looking inside. This makes it even more interesting! The seeds look like nothing I've ever seen before. If I find out they're edible (and they're good), I'll let you know... and if anyone wants some seeds, I'll send them your way. They grow like weeds. I've been pulling them up all summer. Thx! Terry The seeds...

Looks a lot like the wild grape vines growing in my region. Terrible weed! Birds 'plant' them under all the trees. My neighbor's fence is covered with them. He doesn't care. I'm so sick of pulling them out. Once the root gets larger they must be dug to remove. They will come back from roots readily.

I forgot all about those....thank you for postIng this ..... There was a huge installation of this type of lamp in my neighborhood mall Topanga Plaza in So Cal It looked like it was raining in the middle of the shopping mall. I think the mall was built in 1964