Chocolate plant (Theobroma cocoa)

Cacao – Theobroma cacao (Chocolate Tree)

Theobroma cacao, the legendary chocolate tree, produces pods filled with cacao beans—the source of real chocolate. This tropical tree thrives in warm, humid conditions and prefers filtred light or part shade. It bears fragrant flowers directly on the trunk, leading to the development of football-shaped pods. The beans can be fermented, dried, and processed into chocolate or cocoa powder. Ideal for indoor or greenhouse growing in cooler climates, cacao is a must-have for rare fruit collectors and chocolate lovers.

Features:

Ideal Prune Height: 2–4m

pH Growing Conditions: 5.5–6.5

Sun or Shade: Prefers part shade or filtered sun. Once grown to 2m can withstand being planted in the right spot outside.

Minimum Pot Year 5: 50L, start as small as possible, increasing very gradually.

Time to Fruit Age: 3–5 years

Interesting Notes: Requires consistent warmth and humidity. Produces small pinkish-white flowers along the trunk and branches. Hand pollination improves fruit set in cooler areas.

Limited stock.

PERTH GROWING GUIDE

From October to May it's pretty easy, grow under a tree that gives filtered light.

Winter’s creeping in, so send your potted plant on a holiday around mid May until mid October usually.

Cacao trees (Theobroma cacao) hate Perth’s cold, so now’s the time to shift into tropical cheat mode. Bring it indoors, or set up a mini greenhouse or grow tent where temps stay above 15°C. Use a heat mat under the pot and keep the room humid—aim for rainforest vibes, not desert dryness. Pebble trays or humidifiers help, and soft filtered light (plus a grow light) keeps it happy. Ask us to source these if you have issues.

Soil matters. Perth sand is alkaline and cacao needs acid—around pH 5.0 to 6.5. another reason to grow in a pot. Mix compost, pine bark, and coir into the pot, use semi -acidic potting mix to start with. Don’t overwater—cacao likes moisture, not soggy feet, no wet trays. Let the top few centimetres dry out first. Cold roots are death, so warmth underneath matters more than you think.

Choc trees grow slow but steady through winter if you treat them like royalty. Keep them cosy and they’ll reward you with shade-loving beauty—and maybe one day, your own homegrown chocolate.