Other common names
cacao, cacao butter tree, chocolate nut tree, cocoa tree
Trees
A small, semi-evergreen to evergreen tree, which grows up to 8 metres in its native habitat, but much shorter in cooler climates. The long, oval foliage is dark green and lush with prominent dark veining. Clusters of white flowers with a pink calyx emerge directly from the trunk or branches on trees that are 3 to 4 years old. The fruit is large and ovoid, ripening from yellow to orange, with the seeds or 'beans' being the main ingredient of chocolate. It will take around 5 years for trees to begin fruiting. Although Cacao trees can live for up to 100 years, they generally only fruit for half of their lifetime, with the peak fruiting age at around 10 years old
Position
Partial shade
Soil Types
Loam, Sand