Cashew Tree

Cashew (*Anacardium occidentale*) is a tropical evergreen tree with a broad crown, deep-green leaves, and fragrant clusters of small flowers. Each developing crop includes a swollen red or yellow cashew apple and a kidney-shaped nut attached below it ([Kew Plants of the World Online](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:319068-2/general-information), [FAO monograph](https://www.fao.org/4/t0006e/t0006e00.pdf)). ## Landscape Use In tropical, frost-free gardens, cashew can serve as a productive fruit tree and provide broad shade as it matures. Species references describe trees from about 5 m in some settings to 6–12 m in others, with a wide crown; allow generous room for spreading branches. The species is native to tropical America and is now widely cultivated across tropical regions. ## Growing Conditions Give it full sun and free-draining soil. FAO describes warm, humid climates with a pronounced dry season and a preference for sandy soil, while Singapore’s NParks notes moderate water needs and tolerance of dry conditions when mature roots can reach soil moisture. Cashew does not tolerate frost and is unsuitable for waterlogged or saline soils ([FAO](https://www.fao.org/4/t0006e/t0006e00.pdf), [NParks Flora & Fauna Web](https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/2/7/2709)). ## Flowers and Fruit Small fragrant flowers are borne in terminal clusters and may be cream-white striped red or pink, depending on the description source. Bees and flies visit the flowers. The fleshy cashew apple can be eaten fresh; the kernel is edible only after proper commercial or culinary processing. The nut shell contains caustic oil, so raw in-shell nuts should not be handled or eaten casually. ## Maintenance Young trees may need structural pruning to establish a trunk and strong framework. Keep competing weeds away from the trunk while young, water during establishment, and watch for anthracnose in hot, humid conditions. Older trees need room for their crown; avoid planting where large limbs could overhang paths or structures.