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Theobroma bicolor
Also called Macambo Tree, Peruvian Cacao, Tiger Cocoa, Mocambo Tree
Theobroma bicolor is a tropical tree in the cacao genus, grown in its native Amazon and Central American range for its edible seeds and pulp used for chocolate-like drinks. It is a slow-growing understory tree that needs warm, humid conditions and loose soil; it is rarely grown as a houseplant.
Theobroma bicolor, known commonly as the mocambo tree, jaguar tree, balamte, or pataxte, among various other common names, is a tree in the genus Theobroma (family Malvaceae), which also contains the better-known Theobroma cacao (cocoa tree). It is found in Central and South America, including stretches of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Theobroma bicolor was historically cultivated by the Aztecs alongside T. cacao for production of chocolate, although when chocolate was introduced to the Spaniards, they considered the product of T. bicolor to be of a lower quality. Its seeds can also be eaten fried or in soups, and the seed pods when emptied are used as planters and containers. The pulp which surrounds the seeds can be eaten fresh, and has a sweet, mild taste.
When the fruit is ripe, it naturally detaches from the tree branches and falls to the ground; the general method of harvesting is collecting the fallen fruit.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Theobroma bicolor by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
