coca plant seeds nz Buy Cacao Tree NZ | Theobroma Cacao Forastero | Chocolate Plant

coca plant seeds nz Buy Cacao Tree NZ | Theobroma Cacao Forastero | Chocolate PlantImportant Shipping Update We are not shipping cacao plants until mid spring (around October). Cacao is highly sensitive to cold travel. In colder months, they often drop leaves and enter a dormancy like state. To ensure your plants arrive healthy and ready for vigorous spring growth, we are pausing shipments until the weather warms up. Theobroma cacao, which means "food of the gods" in Greek. Native to the lowland rainforests of the Amazon and Orinoco

Important Shipping Update

We are not shipping cacao plants until mid-spring (around October). Cacao is highly sensitive to cold travel. In colder months, they often drop leaves and enter a dormancy-like state. To ensure your plants arrive healthy and ready for vigorous spring growth, we are pausing shipments until the weather warms up.

Theobroma cacao, which means "food of the gods" in Greek. Native to the lowland rainforests of the Amazon and Orinoco river based in South America. Small evergreen tree, typically growing 6-12 meters tall. Glossy, leathery leaves that can be up to 30 cm long and start red before turning green. Small, yellowish-white to pale pink flowers that grow directly on the trunk and branches. Football-shaped pods that ripen to a yellow or orange color and contain the prized cocoa beans.

Cocoa beans are processed into cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and chocolate, making the cacao plant a vital crop for billions of chocolate lovers worldwide. The cacao plant has been revered for centuries by indigenous cultures in Central and South America. The Aztecs and Mayans used it to make a bitter drink called "xocolatl" and considered it a gift from the gods.

It takes about 5 years for a cacao tree to mature and start producing pods. Each pod contains around 30-50 cocoa beans. New Zealand's temperate climate is significantly cooler than the tropical paradise cacao trees prefer (ideally, 21-29°C). I highly recommend growing them in a greenhouse or indoor space. Full sun exposure can be too harsh, especially for young trees, so aim for filtered sunlight or partial shade throughout the day.

Current stock: seedlings over 2.5 years old. These have already gone through 2 winter in our greenhouse. They can be grown in a greenhouse in warmer parts of New Zealand, or as indoor plants in other regions.