The tree I received was very robust and is doing very well. I bought this tree for the obvious reason to harvest cocoa pods when the tree reaches maturity. Last year I bought a different tree without knowing it's habits and needs (ok with a grow light and sunny window), also I now water with recaptured rain water as I have fairly hard water, 7.2 which helps with nutrient uptake. The tree will tell you if it's happy, I've already gotten 4 giant leaves with another couple starting and a couple of inches in height from May to the end of July. I don't think my previous tree benefited going outside for the summer last year and wound up infested with mealy bugs (I had no experience with that kind of infestation), which will kill your juvenile cocoa, mine never recovered as the mealybugs decimated the entire crown.
Every tree I've ever bought from Logees (and I've bought a lot of trees from them) has been shipped amazingly well. This tree was of course no exception. My cacao tree came around a foot and a half tall, and the leaves were all perfect! Logees was recommended to me a few years ago by my horticulture professor, and it has been my go to ever since. So yes, you should buy one right now! No more thinking about it. No, there's not space in the yard for another tree. You have the chance to own a chocolate tree! YOLO.
Top few inches were dangling, almost broken from packaging, but I created a splint with toothpicks and tape, and after about a week I took the splint off and it was healed and sticking straight up again. A few of the bottom leaves will wither and die but that's natural. The remaining leaves are full and bright with life. Can't wait for it to start flowering!
I've had a cocoa plant before and it was nothing compared to this one. It arrived larger than expected in great condition. In about 2 months the plant is now producing leaves bigger than my hand and shows no signs of stopping with a few more smaller ones already showing. I will order another one if I could only get more room.
Arrived in great shape, left it on my porch for a few days to adjust to the light. Then transplanted it to a clay pot and put it in my greenhouse. It's doing great and can't wait to harvest some coco beans.