Understanding cadmium (Cd) pathways in cacao trees is critical for developing Cd mitigation strategies. This study investigates whether Cd uptake and translocation mechanisms differ between a low and a high Cd-accumulating cacao cultivar. We sampled three replicate trees of each cultivar, and a grafted cultivar that shared the same scion as the low Cd accumulator but had a different rootstock. All cultivars grew in the same field with similar bioavailable soil Cd. We utilized Cd stable isotope analyses to trace Cd pathways within the trees, complemented by micro-scale imaging of Cd distribution in leaves and branches, and nutrient and Cd quantification across tree organs. The high Cd accumulator exhibited 2.9-fold higher Cd uptake than the low Cd accumulator, while the grafted cultivar showed 1.7-fold higher uptake. These differences matched Mn uptake. The δ