It contains only three species, C. esmeraldense, C. rodiei and C. venenosum, and is native to northern South America.

The name Chlorocardium means green (chloro-) heart (cardia), referring to the wood.

They are present in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and the Guiana Shield (in northeastern Brazil, Venezuela (Amazonas, Bolívar and Delta Amacuro states), Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana).

Their timber is of great commercial value and much exploited, but C. rodiei is able to produce sprouts from more than 50% of stumps.

The ecological requirements are those of moisture precipitating almost continuously in cloud-cover for much of the year.