Anacardium spp.

cashew

Anacardiaceae Tropical Central and South America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant Fragrant (moderate)

HardinessZones 10–12

Overview

Anacardium spp. is a genus of about ten species of evergreen trees and shrubs in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical Central and South America. Plants range from low spreading shrubs to trees 13-46 ft (4-14 m) tall, with a broad, often irregular crown and leathery obovate leaves 4-9 in (10-22 cm) long clustered toward the branch tips. Branched terminal panicles carry many small five-petalled flowers, pink-striped and fragrant, opening pale and ageing to reddish. Each fertile flower develops a two-part fruit: a kidney-shaped grey-brown drupe, the true fruit, hangs at the tip of a swollen fleshy stalk known as the cashew apple, which ripens yellow to red. The shell surrounding the seed contains caustic phenolic oils that blister skin on contact, while the kernel inside is edible once roasted. The widely grown species, A. occidentale, the cashew, is cultivated across the tropics for its nuts and cashew apples. The genus needs frost-free conditions and deep, freely draining soil, and is intolerant of waterlogging. Most species grow in seasonally dry tropical woodland and savanna.

Native Range

Anacardium spp. is native to the lowland tropics of Central and South America, with greatest diversity in the Amazon basin and the cerrado of Brazil. A. occidentale originated in north-eastern Brazil and is now grown throughout the tropics.

Suggested Uses

Anacardium spp. is grown commercially and in home tropical gardens for cashew nuts and the edible cashew apple, used fresh or in juices and preserves. Trees also serve as shade and windbreak plantings in dry tropical regions, and the timber and bark resin have local uses.

How to Identify

Recognise Anacardium spp. by its leathery obovate leaves crowded at the branch tips and its branched panicles of small fragrant pink-striped flowers. The defining feature is the fruit: a hard, kidney-shaped drupe borne at the end of a swollen, brightly coloured fleshy stalk, the cashew apple. Cut or bruised bark and shells release a caustic resin that darkens on exposure to air.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height13' - 46'

Width/Spread13' - 40'

Colors

Flower Colors

red

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

Fall Winter

Flowering is concentrated in the dry season across most of the native range, often late autumn through winter (roughly November-February near the equator), though timing shifts with local climate. The small fragrant flowers open over several weeks on each panicle, and fruit follows two to three months later. In cultivation, mature trees can flower more than once a year in humid equatorial sites.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

pale pink ageing to red

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 6.5(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

3-5 years to first fruit; full size in 8-10 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Across the genus, Anacardium spp. needs a frost-free tropical or subtropical climate, full sun, and deep, freely draining sandy or loamy soil; it tolerates poor, low-fertility ground and seasonal drought once established but fails in cold or waterlogged conditions. Young trees grow quickly and develop a deep taproot, so they are planted out while small and given room to spread. Trees begin bearing in three to five years and crop most heavily in warm, dry-season climates. Cut shells and sap contain skin-blistering oils, so harvesting and processing are done with protection. Wind shelter improves fruit set in exposed sites.

Pruning

Formative pruning in the first years creates a single clear trunk and an open framework that eases harvest. Mature trees need only removal of dead, crossing, or low branches after fruiting. Pruning cuts release caustic sap, which can irritate skin.