Cacao
Theobroma cacao
Chocolate grows in the understory of taller trees.
Hardiness: zones 11 to 12
Light: shade
Size: about 20 ft tall, 15 ft wide
Harvest: October to March
From: Amazon basin
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food.
Native to: Tropical South America. Hardy in zones 11 to 12.
The story
Cacao was domesticated in the upper Amazon more than 5,000 years ago and became sacred to the Olmec, Maya and Aztec, who drank it bitter and spiced and used the beans as money. The Spanish added sugar; chocolate followed. It grows only in the hot, wet, shady tropics.
Planting
Deep shade when young, rich, moist, drained soil, heat and humidity; it will not take wind, drought or any frost. Plant under taller trees, as its farmers do.
Growing
Keep the soil moist and mulched, feed lightly, and prune to a low, open tree. Flowers grow on the trunk and are pollinated by tiny midges, which need leaf litter to breed.
Harvest and use
Pods ripen on the trunk about six months after flowering, turning yellow or red; cut them, ferment the pulp-coated seeds a week, then dry and roast.
What to watch for
Black pod rot in wet weather, witches' broom and frosty pod in the Americas, and any cold.
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More tropical and subtropical food plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home