CASHEW PLANT

Product Description

The Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is a tropical evergreen tree in the sumac family (Anacardiaceae) native to Brazil. It grows 6 to 14 meters tall and produces a false fruit called a cashew apple alongside a kidney-shaped true fruit holding the edible cashew seed.
Key Features
Leaves and Shape: The tree has a short, irregular trunk, spreading branches, and thick, leathery, elliptic leaves.
Flowers: It blooms with small, fragrant flower clusters that shift from pale green to reddish.
Cashew Apple: A swollen, pear-shaped false fruit (hypocarp) that turns bright red or yellow when ripe.
The Seed (Nut): The true fruit hangs at the bottom of the cashew apple, featuring a double shell containing a caustic, skin-irritating resin.
Uses and Growth
Culinary: The seed is widely roasted and eaten as a snack or used in cooking. The juicy cashew apple is consumed locally or made into drinks and jams.
Climate: It thrives in warm, tropical coastal areas with sandy soil and high sun exposure.