Cacao Trees in Puriscal

New red leaves on a cacao tree in Puriscal

The cacao trees look pretty this time of year with new colorful leaves. The new leaves are hues of red and turn green when mature. The trees are also flowering. I'm always amazed at the flowers of this tree. They are very small and appear right out of a branch. They are also extremely fragrant.

Flowers on a cacao tree in Puriscal, Costa Rica

Cacao produce fruit during the rainy season and right now there are pods of various sizes on most of the trees. The first flush of pods matured in May which yielded about two kilograms of processed beans. 

Small cacao pod with dew drop
New cacao pod about one inch long.

The pods are harvested just as they begin to turn yellow. It's always a race between me and the animals to see who will get them first. A recent count tells me we have 23 trees on the property. I grew all except one from seed. A volunteer tree sprouted and as always, the volunteer is the largest and most healthy. About half the trees are growing near the river and the others near the house.

Cacao pods on tree in Puriscal, Costa Rica
Immature cacao pods.