Theobroma speciosum is an arboriform species of flowering plant in the mallow family native to northern South America.

[3] The specific epithet 'speciosum' is used to indicate that a plant is aesthetically pleasing;[4] it is a neuter form of 'speciosus',[5] which is Latin for 'beautiful'.

[9] The trunk is straight,[7] with plagiotropic (horizontally growing)[10] side branches.

[19] As a crop wild relative,[22] T. speciosum could be used as a source of genetic variability for T. cacao,[17] which is widely cultivated for its cocoa beans.

[3][23] Colletotrichum luxificum, a species of pathogenic fungus,[24] can cause witch's broom disease in Theobroma speciosum.