What is the scientific name of the cocoa plant, native to rainforests?

The scientific name of the cocoa plant, native to rainforests, is Theobroma cacao.

The cacao or cocoa tree is a small evergreen tree in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It evolved in the wet tropical forests of Central and South America, where it grows naturally as an understory plant beneath taller vegetation. Its colorful pods develop directly on the trunk and larger branches, an unusual flowering and fruiting habit called cauliflory.

Carl Linnaeus formally named the species in 1753. The genus name Theobroma comes from Greek words meaning “food of the gods,” while cacao reflects Indigenous American terms such as the Maya kakaw and Nahuatl cacahuatl. The spelling cocoa became common in English, but cacao remains prominent in botanical and agricultural contexts.

The tree’s seeds are called cacao beans when fermented and dried. They are processed into cocoa solids and cocoa butter, the ingredients that form the basis of chocolate. Hevea brasiliensis is the rubber tree, Vanilla planifolia produces vanilla, and Coffea arabica is a coffee species—not cocoa.