The cocoa plant is an evergreen tree standing 12-15 feet tall when fully mature with a branching crown. It has smooth brownish bark and a light weight white wood. The dark green leaves are tear drop shaped (lanceolate), alternate, smooth, and measure 10-40 cm long by 5-20 cm wide.

 

Flowers are located on the trunk or older branches called cauliflory. The small scentless flowers are found in clusters and pollinated by a tiny fly in the subfamily Forcipomyia. The flowers are white with a pink calyx giving them a reddish tint.

 

The long, orange to yellow pods form from pollinated flowers. The pods measure 15-30 cm long by 8-10 cm wide and weigh roughly 1.1 lb. when fully ripe. Inside there are roughly 30 to 50 beans in several rows surround by deliciously sweet juicy pulp. This pulp can be made into a range of different drinks such as juices, smoothies, and alcoholic beverages as well as prepared into jelly or nata. The beans are used for chocolate production.
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