A whiff of vanilla is unmistakable, and it comes from an orchid. Orchids also smell of exotic spices, sweet florals, Mentholatum, new-mown hay and rotting carcasses.

Clinging to trees, rocks, even caves, they need little or no soil but have the reputation of being difficult to grow.

Not true, say orchid experts. If you can grow houseplants, you can grow orchids.

Just don't make the mistake of choosing a variety solely on color or fragrance, ignoring temperature, lighting and humidity needs.

"Figure out who's going to bloom well for you and then you can choose colors and fragrance," said Bloomington horticulturist Christian Alieff, who'll teach a one-night class, "Orchids Made Easy," at Heartland Community College on March 28.

One of his favorites gives off a vanilla clove scent when it blooms in the spring. Although a flower lasts only a few days, each spike can hold several blooms and they open in succession, keeping the fragrance alive for 8 to 10 weeks.

"It's like a good perfume, just a hint, not overpowering," he said.

Orchids are the largest group of flowering plants in the world and the second hottest selling potted plant, just behind poinsettias but ahead of mums, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. There are about 30,000 varieties and 100,000 hybrids, with fingernail-sized blooms and showy flowers as large as a dinner plate.

Gary Kuzniar of the Peoria Orchid Society was at Green View Nursery in Normal recently to encourage novices.

"Everybody has a place in their house that's warm and most orchids will be very happy there," he said.

Orchids need a full day of diffused light and shouldn't be placed in direct sunlight. Although Kuzniar uses a grow light, orchids like fluorescent light and will do well under a kitchen light.

When buds are forming in the spring, move the orchids to a room where it's 10 to 15 degrees cooler for a week or two to force the blooms.

A common mistake is overwatering. The plant should be watered when it's barely moist, holding it over a sink and running lukewarm water through it until it runs freely out the bottom. Good drainage is critical; the plant should never be allowed to sit in water.

Orchids like humidity, they pull moisture from the air, which is why they like to be misted. If roots are sticking above the soil, mist them too. Apply a liquid fertilizer made for orchids.

Since the plants anchor themselves to trees and rocks, absorbing little nutrients from soil, they're not picky about potting material. They'll grow on a piece of bark, coconut husks, sphagnum moss, foam peanuts, even glass beads. All they really need is something to cling to.

Phalaeonopsis, also known as the moth orchid, is a good choice for beginners, said Alieff, a landscape consultant from Shirley.

He also recommends buying orchids from someone who's knowledgeable about their care and can troubleshoot problems.

The plants are mostly disease and pest-free, he added.

"They're perennials, they'll grow almost forever if you treat them right. They're just a lot easier than people think. It's a lot different than it used to be."

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All about orchids…

Orchids are the largest group of flowering plants in nature, with as many as 30,000 identified species and more than 100,000 artificially created hybrids. Here are some other facts:

• Orchids are found on every continent except Antarctica and in almost every color, except black.

• The tiny dark specs in vanilla ice cream are orchid seeds.

• An orchid native to Peru grows as high as 44 feet and is topped with dinner-plate-sized flowers.

• Orchids are fragrant but many lose their scent when cut. Scents are used to attract pollinators, which include birds and bees along with flies, frogs, bats and ants.

• During World War II, thousands of orchid plants were sent from England to the United States for safe keeping, and we became rather attached to them.

• Orchids are among the most ancient of plants and the most versatile, having evolved over centuries and adapted their growing habits to environmental changes. Confucius wrote of orchids about 500 years B.C. and the ancient Greeks believed the flowers enhanced sexual powers.

• April is National Orchid Month.

SOURCES: American Orchid Society, Delray Beach, Fla., Christian Alieff, landscape consultant

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Orchid class

What: Orchids Made Easy

When: 7-9 p.m. March 28

Where: Heartland Community College, Community Commons Building, Room 2401, Normal

Instructor: Christian Alieff

Cost: $30

Contact: Heartland Community College Community Education (309) 268-8160 or www.heartland.edu/communityEd