Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico, Central America
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
Criollo, Forastero, Trinitario
-
Number of Varieties
3-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland, Tropical rainforest, Tropical regions
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-155-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
370.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Gold, Burgundy, Dark Red
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Dark Green, Pink, Copper
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green, Dark Green, Copper
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Broad, Unlobed
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune to stimulate growth, Prune twice a year, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut out old flower stalks, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Ammonia sulphate, Nitrogen
Nitrogen, N-P-K balanced liquid fertilizer, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Borers, Insects, Phytophthora, Red blotch
Army-worms, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cucumber mosaic, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas, Wet Site
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Diabetes, Diarrhea
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Glowing Skin, Moisturizing, Nourishes scalp
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anti-oxidant, Antioxidants, Asthma, Cancer, Cardiovascular problems, constipation, High cholestrol, Wounds
Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Jaundice, Laxative, Leprosy, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in making beverages
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
THEOBROMA cacao
Trichosanthes cucumerina
Common Name
Cacao, Chocolate, Cocoa
snake gourd, serpent gourd, chichinda, padwal
In Hindi
कोको संयंत्र
चिचिण्डा
In German
Kakaopflanze
Schlangenhaargurke
In French
usine de cacao
Trichosanthes cucumerina
In Spanish
planta del cacao
snake gourd
In Greek
φυτό του κακάο
φίδι κολοκύθα
In Portuguese
planta do cacau
snake gourd
In Polish
Kakao roślin
Gurdlina ogórkowata
In Latin
Cocos herba
snake gourd
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malvales
Cucurbitales
Family
Sterculiaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Theobroma
Coccinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Theobromeae
-
Subfamily
Byttneroideae
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
2227
1
27800
👆🏻