Kakkavo / Cocoa Tree
Theobroma cacao
Also known as Cocco, Cacao, Chocolate-Nut Tree
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & more
- Flowering
- November-May
How to identify Kakkavo
Identify Kakkavo by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Pods grow directly on the trunk and branches (cocoa/chocolate tree).
- Confirm leaf shape: Elliptic (widest at middle).
- Confirm flower colour: White/cream.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: November-May.
- In India, compare location records such as Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Sterculiaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Kakkavo.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Theobroma cacao
- Genus
- Theobroma
- Family
- Sterculiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Cultivated
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- Tropical America
- Distribution
- Cultivated in most tropical parts of the world
- Found in India
- Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha
- Flowering & fruiting
- November-May
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Elliptic (widest at middle)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Kakkavo itself; the rest are typical of the Sterculiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- White/creamrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Kakkavo itself; the rest are typical of the Sterculiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Bengali
- কোকোয়া, কোকোয়া(উদ্ভিদ)
- Tamil
- கக்கவோ kakkavo, கொக்கோ
- Malayalam
- കൊക്കോ, Theobroma cacao
- Marathi
- कोको
About Kakkavo
Cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) is a tree in the Sterculiaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and 5 other states. It is cultivated. Flowering and fruiting run from November to May.
Sterculiaceae
Cacao/Cola family
Kakkavo belongs to the Sterculiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Sterculiaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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