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Tree's Basic Biology

As a small tree native to the rainforest understory, cacao has adapted to its environment in many ways.

First, it requires strict climatic conditions to germinate, grow, flower, and produce pods. Second, its propagation depends upon the intervention of other rainforest mammals, birds, and insects.

Cacao’s biology makes it well-suited for survival in the wild, but more difficult to grow on sunny farms.

Cacao Tree Requirements
Cacao trees are quite picky about their environment. If any of the following requirements are not met, the cacao tree will stop bearing fruit:

	Regular rainfall
	Steady, warm temperatures
	Constant, high humidity
	Partial shade
	Rich, well-drained soil
	Canopy trees to protect plants from wind and moisture loss

In addition, the seeds themselves won’t germinate after planting if they’re exposed to low temperatures or low humidity.

Continue to Cacao Growth Stages

Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus gave the cacao tree its scientific name, Theobroma. It means “food of the gods.”

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