Cashew-nut Tree
Anacardium occidentale
Also known as Cashew Apple
About Cashew-nut Tree
Cashew is the common name of a tropical evergreen tree Anacardium occidentale, in the family Anacardiaceae. It is the source of the cashew nut and the cashew apple. The tree can grow as tall as 14 meters (46 feet). Cashews are native to tropical South America. Portuguese explorers encountered them in the 16th century and spread them to India and other tropical regions of the world. The dwarf cultivars, growing up to 6 m (20 ft), are the most profitable, maturing sooner and producing greater yields. In 2023, 3.9 million tons of cashew nuts were harvested globally, led by the Ivory Coast and India. The nut shell and raw seed are toxic, but the nut is edible once shelled and roasted or steamed.
Description adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Anacardium occidentale
- Genus
- Anacardium
- Family
- ANACARDIACEAE
- Habit
- Tree
- Native to
- Tropical America
- Distribution
- Widely cultivated in Tropics of the World
- Flowering & fruiting
- December-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Local Names
- Hindi
- काजू Kaju, काजू
- Nepali
- काजु Kaaju, काजु
- Bengali
- হিজলি-বাদাম Hijali-badam, কাজু Kaju, কাজু বাদাম
- Tamil
- சிகிடிமா Cikitima, கல்லார்மா Kallarma, கிருட்டிணை Kiruttinai
- Telugu
- అగ్రబీజము Agrabijamu, జీడి మామిడి Jeedi maamidi, జీడి పప్పు Jeedi Pappu
- Kannada
- ಗೇರು Geru, ಗೋಡಂಬಿ Godambi, ಗೋವೆ Gove
- Malayalam
- കശുമാവ് Kasumaavu, പറങ്കിമാവ് Parankimaavu, കശുമാവ്
- Marathi
- काजू Kaju, काजू, का़जु
Anacardiaceae
Cashew family
Cashew-nut Tree belongs to the Anacardiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the ANACARDIACEAE family →Snap it. Know it.
Point your camera at cashew-nut tree or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.