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| Cashew Tree. Anacardium occidentale. Seed Pod & Fruit. At, La Finca Plantation. El Baul, Guatemala. Photo Taken: June 03, 2003. El Baul, Guatemala. 1702.8 Feet Elevation. |
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Cashew Tree.
We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. The cashew tree is large and evergreen, growing to 10-20 feet tall, with a short, often irregularly shaped trunk. The leaves are spirally arranged, leathery textured, elliptic to obovate, 4 to 22 cm long and 2 to 15 cm broad, with smooth margins. The flowers are produced in a panicle or corymb up to 26 cm long; each flower is small, pale green at first, then turning reddish, with five slender, acute petals 7 to 15 mm long. The largest cashew tree in the world covers an area of about 81,000 sq ft; it is located in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The fruit of the cashew tree is an accessory fruit (sometimes called a pseudocarp or false fruit). What appears to be the fruit is an oval or pear-shaped structure, a hypocarpium, that develops from the pedicel and the receptacle of the cashew flower. Called the cashew apple, better known in Central America as maranon, it ripens into a yellow and/or red structure about 5�11 cm long. It is edible, and has a strong "sweet" smell and a sweet taste. The pulp of the cashew apple is very juicy, but the skin is fragile, making it unsuitable for transport. In Latin America, a fruit drink is made from the cashew apple pulp which has a very refreshing taste and tropical flavor that can be described as having notes of mango, raw green pepper, and just a little hint of grapefruit-like citrus. The true fruit of the cashew tree is a kidney or boxing-glove shaped drupe that grows at the end of the cashew apple. The drupe develops first on the tree, and then the pedicel expands to become the cashew apple. Within the true fruit is a single seed, the cashew nut. Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense the nut of the cashew is a seed. The seed is surrounded by a double shell containing an allergenic phenolic resin, anacardic acid, a potent skin irritant chemically related to the better-known allergenic oil urushiol which is also a toxin found in the related poison ivy. Properly roasting cashews destroys the toxin, but it must be done outdoors as the smoke (not unlike that from burning poison ivy) contains urushiol droplets which can cause severe, sometimes life-threatening, reactions by irritating the lungs. People who are allergic to cashew (or poison ivy) urushiols may cross-react to mango or pistachio which are also in the Anacardiaceae family. Some people are allergic to cashew nuts, but cashews are a less frequent allergen than other nuts or peanuts. A small to medium tree, generally single-trunked and spreading in habit, up to 40' in height but generally 10-20 feet in cultivation. In older trees, spread may be greater than height, with lower limbs bending to touch the ground. Leaves are thick, prominently veined, oval to spatulate in shape, with blunt tips and entire margins. New foliage contains reddish pigment. Flowering is similar to the close relative mango: both male and perfect flowers are borne in the same inflorescence (polygamous). Individual flowers are 1/4 in across, with crimson petals, often striped longitudinally and reflexed. They are borne terminally on panicles, generally at the beginning of the dry season. Flowering may occur over several weeks. The true botanical fruit is a nut, about 1 in long, shaped like a small boxing glove, hanging below a fleshy, swollen peduncle called the cashew apple or pseudofruit. Fruit are borne singly or in small clusters, and mature in 60-90 days. The nut shell has an inner and outer wall, separated by a honeycomb tissue infused with caustic oil. Cracking the nuts fresh results in the oil contaminating the kernel, so nuts are roasted to drive off oils before they are shelled.
Some gardeners in Arizona have success with this plant.
Quick Notes:
Height: Height up to about 40 feet tall with less spread. Most are about 20 feet. Most we have seen were about 15 feet high.
Flowers: both male and perfect flowers are borne in the same inflorescence (polygamous). Individual flowers are 1/4? across, with crimson petals, often striped longitudinally and reflexed. They are borne terminally on panicles, generally at the beginning of the dry season. Flowering may occur over several weeks.
Flowering Time: January - April.
Leaves: Leaves are thick, prominently veined, oval to spatulate in shape, with blunt tips and entire margins. New foliage contains reddish pigment.
Fruit: The true botanical fruit is a nut, about 1? long, shaped like a small boxing glove, hanging below a fleshy, swollen peduncle called the cashew apple or pseudofruit. Fruit are borne singly or in small clusters, and mature in 60-90 days. The nut shell has an inner and outer wall, separated by a honeycomb tissue infused with caustic oil.
Soil pH requirements:
Sun Exposure:
Elevation: Can be normally found from 0 - 243 Feet. Usually at low elevations. We have seen them in Mexico at about 932.5 Feet. We have seen them in Guatemala at about 1702.8 Feet Elevation.
Habitat: Found rarely in some Maricopa County gardens. Provide good draining soil. Do not use heavy soils, that have clay.
Miscellaneous: Not a major plant in Arizona. Does not grow well in Dry Climate, or in Cold Climate.
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| Cashew Tree. Anacardium occidentale. At, La Finca Plantation. El Baul, Guatemala. Photo Taken: June 03, 2003. El Baul, Guatemala. 1702.8 Feet Elevation | Cashew Tree. Anacardium occidentale. Seed. |
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