Theobroma gileri

[FlyingFoxFruits]

I hope this species fruits well at low elevation.  My friend gave me a seedling today, in a red solo cup, about 2-3 month old, only 8 inch tall, with a stem smaller than 1cm thick....and it already had one flower!

I can't think of any other fruit tree I've seen that flowered at such a juvenile phase!

[Sanddollarmoon]

I hope this species fruits well at low elevation.  My friend gave me a seedling today, in a red solo cup, about 2-3 month old, only 8 inch tall, with a stem smaller than 1cm thick....and it already had one flower!

I can't think of any other fruit tree I've seen that flowered at such a juvenile phase!

That is strange. Cashews and Jackfruit can both flower at one year, but three months is short even for annuals. Are you certain of this plant's ID, or perhaps it is an annual. I would suggest you post pictures. If it turns out to actually be T. Gileri, which is a spectacular plant in it's own right, hold some seeds for me (if in turn the plant holds fruit)! I would be happy to pay full price. Hmm, it looks like many trustable images show a very small plant flowering, but it is too rare for me to confirm.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

I'm sure it's a theobroma...i have several other species, so I'm familiar with the genus.

sorry I don't have the ability to post pics now...although I made sure to take a few pics.

maybe I can email you a pic from my iPhone?

[plantlover13]

That's weird. And cool. Also weird.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

here is one of the only pics I could find of T gileri.

http://m.flickr.com/lightbox?id=8432446151

can anyone find any others?  Looks bigger than I thought!  with more pulp than I expected.

(ps...i emailed pics of the tiny seedling with a bloom to sanddollarmoon...hopefully he can upload them for me.)

[Sanddollarmoon]

here is one of the only pics I could find of T gileri.

http://m.flickr.com/lightbox?id=8432446151

can anyone find any others?  Looks bigger than I thought!  with more pulp than I expected.

(ps...i emailed pics of the tiny seedling with a bloom to sanddollarmoon...hopefully he can upload them for me.)

That is a big fruit for such a small plant!  Do you think it will hold? Perhaps, as horrible as it may seem, the plant would be healthier with the flower cut. 





With such a short time to mature, I wonder how often a year it will flower?

[FlyingFoxFruits]

thanks for helping me post the pics!

I knew it sounded too crazy to believe!

I don't think it will set fruit now...maybe when it gets to be more than 1ft tall.  If I can keep it warm, and happy, I'm guessing it will flower for a good portion of the year...but I'm not sure.

[fruitlovers]

I have a bunch of seedlings of T. gileri right now all about 6 inches tall. Will let you know if any of them flower. Here is another photo:

[Sanddollarmoon]

thanks for helping me post the pics!

I knew it sounded too crazy to believe!

I don't think it will set fruit now...maybe when it gets to be more than 1ft tall.  If I can keep it warm, and happy, I'm guessing it will flower for a good portion of the year...but I'm not sure.

How did this experiment go? Did it try to fruit, or did the flower die? Oscar, how are your plants doing, any flowers? Mountain cacao, I wonder if the low elevation has anything to do with it's strange behavior. Has anybody fruited this one? With the high pulp to seed ratio, is this used for pulp or seeds (if it is used )?

[FlyingFoxFruits]

sand$moon,
it's flowering again, but didn't hold fruit.

it seems to flower one bud at a time so far.  it's only made two flowers, and it's still less than 10 inch tall.

[fruitlovers]

My plants are still small and in pots. This is a good reminder to get them in the ground. BTW the seeds come originally from Jim West. He just visited me, noticed my potted plants, and mentioned that of the theobroma species this is the one of least quality.

[luc]

Just checked mine , 4 months old and flowering . This is incredible..

[FlyingFoxFruits]

wow your flower looks way larger than mine!

my tree is about the same size!

thanks for sharing!

[Zambezi]

Wow Luc! It's so young... And what a pretty flower!..

[plantlover13]

THis has lots of potential for containers...

So some dumb questions...

Can this be used for a chocolate like thing and how good is the pulp?

[Sanddollarmoon]

Can this be used for a chocolate like thing and how good is the pulp?

We think alike.

With the high pulp to seed ratio, is this used for pulp or seeds (if it is used )?

Oscar mentioned this is one of the more inferior theobromas, does this have to do with the pulp flavor/texture, seeds, or both? Luc, amazing! Since this is not unique to Adam, what is your elevation? How long are these' vegatitive life spans?

[fruitlovers]

Patrick, can't tell you exactly how the T. gileri is inferior since i've never tasted the fruit, and am just going by what Jim West told me. If you look at photos online, Felipe has some crossection shots on his Picasa page, you can see that they have a lot smaller pods than cacao.

[luc]

Can this be used for a chocolate like thing and how good is the pulp?

We think alike.

With the high pulp to seed ratio, is this used for pulp or seeds (if it is used )?

Oscar mentioned this is one of the more inferior theobromas, does this have to do with the pulp flavor/texture, seeds, or both? Luc, amazing! Since this is not unique to Adam, what is your elevation? How long are these' vegatitive life spans?

Sanddollarmoon , my elevation is 300 meter at 20 degrees N. I imagine Adam and I may be able to have one fruit next year , I am almost certain these flowers / fruit will abort , I will do my best to have a fruit next season to try a mini badge of chocolate . It may be decent enough to mix with the T. cacao . My mocambo and cupuasu are still not fruiting . It is fun to make your own chocolate but a lot of work , I make mine with no sugar added .

[FlyingFoxFruits]

a short exposure to 40F (even in a very wind protected location) torched my baby T.gileri.

it looks like it will recover...but its very sensitive!

[gunnar429]

a short exposure to 40F (even in a very wind protected location) torched my baby T.gileri.

it looks like it will recover...but its very sensitive!

had some T. gileri seeds that were planted in late Summer 2014....exposed to mid-high 30s (Farenheit) and got torched....thought it was a goner, but found something growing in one of my solo cups and the label says Theobroma gileri, so we shall see in time...hope it isn't just a random weed sprouting.

[bsbullie]

a short exposure to 40F (even in a very wind protected location) torched my baby T.gileri.

it looks like it will recover...but its very sensitive!

had some T. gileri seeds that were planted in late Summer 2014....exposed to mid-high 30s (Farenheit) and got torched....thought it was a goner, but found something growing in one of my solo cups and the label says Theobroma gileri, so we shall see in time...hope it isn't just a random weed sprouting.

When were they exposed t o the mid or even high 30s?

[gunnar429]

when i put them in the fridge a little while back 
no, last February.

[bsbullie]

when i put them in the fridge a little while back 
no, last February.

I question those low temps, just saying...

[gunnar429]

when i put them in the fridge a little while back 
no, last February.

I question those low temps, just saying...

you don't remember that cold snap last year?  I was out watering my whole yard like a madman at 2am.  Lowest reading I saw from my area that day was like 37 IIRC

[FlyingFoxFruits]

mine got killed in the 40s!

if yours survived, it's a miracle.

a short exposure to 40F (even in a very wind protected location) torched my baby T.gileri.

it looks like it will recover...but its very sensitive!

had some T. gileri seeds that were planted in late Summer 2014....exposed to mid-high 30s (Farenheit) and got torched....thought it was a goner, but found something growing in one of my solo cups and the label says Theobroma gileri, so we shall see in time...hope it isn't just a random weed sprouting.

[bsbullie]

when i put them in the fridge a little while back 
no, last February.

I question those low temps, just saying...

you don't remember that cold snap last year?  I was out watering my whole yard like a madman at 2am.  Lowest reading I saw from my area that day was like 37 IIRC

While i know temps can vary and you are not officially in Hollywood,  the lowest low in February 2015 for Hollywood was 46....and no, I didnt give any care to any plants in the winter of 2014/2015.

[Domnik]

Luc, how are Your t. gileri now?

Friends, about minimum temperatures: all depends on how long they occur . Long-term - several days , maybe a week or two with temperatures below 40-50 F will kill (small) these and other theobroma. Big trees hold out longer.  Also the maximum temperatures are important. T. gileri treated by temperatures above 95 F  + partial sun and You could see the damage ( yellow leaves).

Before i lost my gileri i found something on leaves. Maybe it is normal (starch, saccharose or something else?) Is there anyone who find similar to these growths on gileri leaves?

[Pan Dulce]

Hey Domnik,

Which scope are you using?

Been thinking about buying my first microscope?

[TomekK]

After several years of searching, I finally got my hands on a few Theobroma Gileri seeds. They are now beginning to germinate, and I’ll be sure to give updates on how they grow and if/when they flower.

Domnik, you said here that your gileri died, and on your Oleander forum you showed new plants in 2017. Are they still alive? You also said that they are difficult to grow. Can you explain why? I also will be growing them indoors for the winter, and I don’t want to lose them! Is it that they suffer from low humidity (something my grow tent could help) or something else?

Thanks,
Tomek

[Finca La Isla]

I have t. gileri growing and in production at my farm.  Originally it flowered plenty and never set any fruit.  Finally we got a fruit set.  The pulp is tasty and I’ve planted a couple more which could help with pollination.  Some theobroma need cross pollination, so I hope this helps.
Peter

[TomekK]

Have you tried pollinating by hand? From what I’ve heard gileri on general has a poor fruit set compared to other theobromas (that’s why it’s not regarded as a “good” theobroma) , but maybe it just needs stronger pollination? I don’t know...


Tomek

[Finca La Isla]

No, I haven’t tried pollinating gileri by hand.  We have plenty of good pollinators here.  There is a lot of serious work done on cacao in Costa Rica and some selections are known to set best when paired with certain clones and to set poorly on their own.  T. Grandiflora is self infertile while bicolor easily sets on its own.  Rather than hand pollinate I am going to compare the result once I get some companion trees flowering.
Peter

[Budtropicals]

If anybody here has some seeds or better yet a plant, i'd love to buy one!

[guaycuyacu]

gileri is native and common here in w. ecuador.  my opinion about the fruit-  pulp is sweet and good, but not great like may other T.sp.’s, and a bit scant.  seed are unlike any other T. i know, very hard, apparently low in fat, seems inedible.   here they prefer wet areas

[TomekK]

What about production? Do they produce without cross pollination? At what age can they bear fruit? And does hand pollinating help?

Tomek

[Nyuu]

I hope this species fruits well at low elevation.  My friend gave me a seedling today, in a red solo cup, about 2-3 month old, only 8 inch tall, with a stem smaller than 1cm thick....and it already had one flower!

I can't think of any other fruit tree I've seen that flowered at such a juvenile phase!

I know this might sound weird but I find a friend with sugar apple about the same size with fruit with no  sign of graft

[guaycuyacu]

What about production? Do they produce without cross pollination? At what age can they bear fruit? And does hand pollinating help?

Tomek

since i dont plant them, i cant help with those questions.

[TomekK]

An update on how my gileri are growing. Most of them have matured their first leaves. Some are even splitting their growing tip. I’d like to see a flower before I have to move them inside for the winter! They are extremely sensitive to humidity, far more than cacao. Especially when they first break the ground.

Here is a video of the pod before I opened it: https://youtu.be/uQzfhKWb6Ic

And here is one I made a few days ago better showing the developing plants: https://youtu.be/3i4a6XTjU2g

Tomek

[Budtropicals]

An update on how my gileri are growing. Most of them have matured their first leaves. Some are even splitting their growing tip. I’d like to see a flower before I have to move them inside for the winter! They are extremely sensitive to humidity, far more than cacao. Especially when they first break the ground.

Here is a video of the pod before I opened it: https://youtu.be/uQzfhKWb6Ic

And here is one I made a few days ago better showing the developing plants: https://youtu.be/3i4a6XTjU2g

Tomek

Is it possible for you to sell me one?

[Finca La Isla]

As a precaution I would plant two.  Some theobroma are self infertile.  I had a single t. gileri that flowered for years with no fruit set. Then it produced 1.  I get a couple of fruits for what seems like hundreds of flowers.  I have planted two more but they haven’t flowered yet so no proof of the hypothesis, but I feel cross pollination could be important here.
Peter

[TomekK]

The people I’ve talked to have all said that it fruits very sporadically and has few fruits. Don’t know how many plants they have though. I wonder if it’s just not getting pollinated enough, and if hand pollination would help with fruit set. Perhaps the natural pollinators are a bit shy of the plant.

Will definitely keep at least a couple, and will see if cross pollination is necessary/helpful (of course, if I can keep them alive until they get old enough to fruit).