Plant in full sun to part shade and water occasionally in the summer. It looks a lot like Distictis 'Rivers', but has a slightly more delicate look about it, and the blooms give off a pleasant vanilla scent. It is hardy to about 25-30 degrees F. If it is well established, it should regenerate from the roots if it freezes down to the ground.

Distictis laxiflora is native to Mexico. It has long been known as Distictis laxiflora but the current name, according to Kew Botanic Garden database is Amphilophium laxiflorum. We will continue to list this plant as Distictis laxiflora until such time as this name change has wider acceptance.

The plant we sold was selected by us from seedlings of the large Distictis laxiflora that overhangs our sales office structure. In 1992 we evaluated 15 seedlings for flower color and fragrance and selected this plant as being the best. We continually tried to vegetatively propagate the original plant on our office structure but only had a few cuttings successfully root but we planted one of these in our greenhouse and this the wood from this plant roots more reliably and we have been able to sell this plant using the name Distictis laxiflora 'Vanilla Orchid' to distinguish it from the seedling form. Visitors to our nursery could see both forms growing nearby in our main greenhouse where our cutting stock for the select form took over the back center of the greenhouse while the plant successfully rooted from the original covers the southwestern corner. Many customers came in to compare the flower color and fragrance of these two beautiful plants before the greenhouse was dismantled and moved as we closed down the nursery in 2025. 

Information displayed on this page about Distictis laxiflora (SMG select form) is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.