Cacao
Theobroma cacao
- Native to:
- Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guam, Guyana, Palau, Peru, Suriname
Aztec, 1440-1521
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Malvaceae
- Genus:
- Theobroma
- Species:
- Theobroma cacao
- USDA Symbol:
- THCA
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 800 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Colors:
- white, yellow, pink
- Food Forest:
- Contains edible parts
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★★☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
almond moth (Cadra cautella), Cacao moth (Ephestia elutella), Ecdytolopha nr. aurantianum, Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella), Mussidia nigrivenella, rice moth (Corcyra cephalonica)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals, insects
- Fragrant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers soils with high organic matter
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 10–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds are recalcitrant and must be planted fresh within days of extraction; they do not tolerate drying or storage.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI