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Abstract Over 125 million years of ant-plant interactions have culminated in one of the most intriguing evolutionary outcomes in life history. The myrmecophyteDuroia hirsuta(Rubiaceae) is known for its mutualistic association with the antMyrmelachista schumanniand several other species, mainlyAzteca, in the north-western Amazon. While both ants provide indirect defences to plants, onlyM. schumanninests in plant domatia and has the unique behaviour of clearing the surroundings of its host tree from heterospecific plants, potentially increasing resource availability to its host. Using a 12-year survey, we asked how the continuous presence of either onlyM. schumannior onlyAztecaspp. benefits the growth and defence traits of host trees. We found that the continuous presence ofM. schumanniimproved relative growth rates and leaf shearing resistance ofDuroiabetter than trees withAzteca. However, leaf herbivory, dry matter content, trichome density, and secondary metabolite production were the same in all trees. Survival depended directly on ant association (> 94% of trees died when ants were absent). This study extends our understanding of the long-term effects of strict ant-plant mutualism on host plant traits in the field and reinforces the use ofD. hirsuta–M. schumannias a model system suitable for eco-co-evolutionary research on plant–animal interactions.