Seed to Tree | Growing Cacao in Hawaiʻi

Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is a compact and shade loving tree with ancient origins. From seed to harvest, it teaches patience, attentiveness, and trust in the unseen work beneath the soil.

If you’re curious about growing cacao — whether on a homestead, farm, or food forest — this guide follows the journey from seed to tree, as practiced here on our North Hilo farm.

Inside the Pod

Each cacao pod holds between 30 and 60 seeds, depending on the variety. The beans come in different shapes and shades of purple to white — a genetic mosaic that hints at the flavor and character to come.

A cacao seed is potted in a grow tube

Germination

Seeds are planted in 14-inch tall grow tubes, filled with loose, well-drained soil. They’re kept shaded and moist — cacao doesn’t like to dry out, and it doesn’t like direct sun either.

After one to two weeks, a taproot reaches down. Then, slowly, the first leaves appear. No rush — cacao grows in its own time.

Baby cacao seedling

In the Nursery

For the next few months, seedlings live in a shaded nursery, protected from wind, sun, and pests. At two months, they’re small and fragile.

By six months, a healthy tree will have a stem as thick as a pencil — strong enough for transplanting, or grafting if you’re looking for specific varietal traits.

Cacao seedling trees

Planting in the Ground

Seedlings are planted into deep holes amended with compost and organic matter. The soil should hold water, but drain well. After transplanting, regular watering helps the roots take hold.

Spacing:

6 ft apart for dense planting
13 ft apart if interplanting with bananas, turmeric, or other crops

Depending on layout, 400–1,000 cacao trees can fit per acre.

Protection for Young Trees

Young cacao needs shelter — not just from wind and sun, but from hungry beetles and competitive weeds.

We build simple protective cages using wire and 30% shade cloth, secured with long weed mat staples. These protect against:

Harsh sun and wind
Weeds (when paired with a thick mulch ring)
Chinese rose beetles, which can skeletonize leaves overnight

In cooler, shaded, wind-protected areas, cages may not be necessary — but in our experience, they make the difference between thriving and failing.

Caging the cacao tree

Common Pests

Chinese rose beetle (Adoretus sinicus): Clumsy fliers that chew through tender leaves. The cage stops them cold.
Ants farming aphids: If you see curled or sticky new leaves, rinse with a hose or reduce ant colonies. Aphids alone don’t kill cacao, but they slow it down.

Once the tree matures, a few bug bites are no big deal.

The Jorquette

Around year three, cacao forms a jorquette — a natural Y where the trunk splits into major branches. This shape matters. It sets the tree’s architecture and determines how it will bear fruit. Prune carefully, and let it grow balanced.

Between young cacao trees, we grow food crops like:

White pineapple
Kalo (taro)
ʻOlena (turmeric)
Plantains

These fill the space while the cacao canopy is still developing, and they feed both the soil and the farmer.

Flowering & Fruiting

Cacao trees flower around year four.
The blossoms are small and pinkish-white, emerging directly from the trunk — a trait called cauliflory.

Most flowers don’t become fruit. They rely on tiny native midges for pollination, and conditions have to be just right. But eventually, the first pods begin to form.

Cacao tree flowering

Developing cacao pods

Pod Maturity & Ripeness

Cacao pods take 5–6 months to ripen. Some are smooth, some ribbed or bumpy. They range in color — from green to yellow, red to orange, sometimes even purple.