Cashew

Anacardium occidentale

tree

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is a sprawling tropical evergreen, 20 to 40 ft, grown for an unusual two-part crop: a fleshy, juicy cashew apple with the curved, gray cashew nut hanging from its tip. It is strictly tropical and cannot take any frost, so outdoors it is limited to the warmest frost-free regions. It is fast and bears young, often within 3 years. The serious catch is the nut shell: it contains a caustic, urushiol-related oil that blisters skin, so raw home-grown cashews must never be shelled or eaten without proper roasting - which is why store cashews are always sold pre-treated.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Pepper — A warm-season crop that uses the sunny ground while the tree is young
• Basil — A heat-loving herb that fills space and draws pollinators in the tropics
• Sweet Potato — A sprawling groundcover that shades and protects the warm soil

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Anthracnose →

  A fungal blight of flowers, leaves, and young nuts in humid weather; prune for airflow and remove infected tissue

• Tea mosquito bug →

  A sucking pest that blights shoots and flower panicles in the tropics; monitor at flowering and manage early

• Powdery mildew →

  Coats panicles in dry-humid spells and cuts nut set; improve airflow and remove affected growth

🌾 Harvest & storage

Cashews take about three months from flower to ripe fruit. The whole structure falls to the ground when ready - gather daily. The cashew apple is eaten fresh or made into juice and jams right away, as it bruises and spoils fast. The nut requires great care: the raw shell oil is caustic and blistering, so the nuts must be roasted (traditionally outdoors, never breathing the smoke) to destroy the oil before the kernel can be safely cracked out and eaten. Do not attempt to shell raw cashews by hand at home.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

The cashew kernel - once properly roasted and shelled - is a sweet, rich, buttery nut high in healthy fats, plant protein, and minerals, eaten as a snack, blended into creamy sauces, and ground into cashew butter. The cashew apple is a juicy, astringent-sweet tropical fruit eaten fresh or juiced where it grows. But the safety rule is firm: the raw nut shell is dangerous, so leave shelling and roasting to proper processing.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

The cashew kernel sold in stores is always heat-treated for good reason. Inside the raw shell is cashew nutshell liquid - a caustic, blistering oil related to the urushiol of poison ivy - and the sap, leaves, and even the smoke from burning the wood can cause severe skin reactions. Home growers should NOT shell or eat home-grown cashews without proper roasting and processing. The attached cashew apple, by contrast, is a safe, edible fruit.