The cocoa tree
The cocoa tree – Theobroma Cacao – only grows in the tropical heat of the equatorial forest. The shadow of the tall-growing plants protects the young tree against the burning sun or strong wind. After five years, it is strong enough to survive and start producing cocoa.
The cocoa tree flowers all year round, in two cycles of six months. Thousands of minuscule white (female) and pink (male) flowers adorn stem and branches. No more than forty of the thousands of flowers will eventually develop into cocoa pods.
After six months, the cocoa pods are full-grown and are ready to be harvested. There are two harvests per year. In Ivory Coast and Ghana, the main harvest lasts from October to March and the mid-crop from May to August.