Cashew
9
2
5Will it grow where I live?
Cashew is not winter-hardy in Central Europe (zone 10): outdoors from spring to autumn only, otherwise a container plant overwintered frost-free. The summer heat it needs to ripen is out of reach outdoors in Central Europe – greenhouse or conservatory.
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Profile
- Family
- Anacardiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Height
- 11 m
- Spread
- 10.7 m
- Growth
- very fast
- Lifespan
- 40 years
- First yield
- after 3 years
- Hardiness
- zone 10–12
- Shade tolerance
- full sun
- Soil
- Sand, Silt, Loam
- Soil moisture
- dry – moist
- pH
- 4.5 – 6.5
Varieties (12)
12 varieties of Cashew are listed in the Permaplans variety finder — each with its own page: taste, ripening time, disease resistance, parentage and use.
- Bhaskara Sturdy Karnataka clone with good yield and a sweet, juicy cashew apple.
- BPP-8 Leading Bapatla hybrid for India's east coast with bold nuts.
- CCP-76 Brazilian dwarf clone with early bearing, compact growth and a large, juicy cashew apple.
- Dhana Bold-nut Kerala hybrid with high shelling recovery and export quality.
- EMBRAPA 51 Improved Brazilian dwarf clone with bold nuts and high apple quality for juice production.
- Faga 11 Brazilian dwarf clone with especially large nuts and high-quality cashew apple.
- K-22-1 Kerala clone released as Kanaka, with early bearing and good kernel quality.
- Madakkathara-2 Proven Kerala clone with steady yield and good adaptation to monsoon climate.
- Priyanka Kerala hybrid with strikingly large nuts and jumbo kernels for premium markets.
- Ullal-3 Reliable South Indian clone for Karnataka with good kernel recovery.
- Vengurla-4 High-yielding Indian flagship clone with bold kernels and a long harvest window on the Konkan coast.
- Vengurla-7 Bold-nut Vengurla hybrid with very high yield and export-grade kernels.
Uses
⚠️ Hazards
Toxicity: toxic
The nut shell contains cardol and anacardic acid, a strongly caustic oil from the same family as poison ivy. It causes severe skin burns, which is why "raw" cashew kernels are always steamed or roasted before sale. The juice of the cashew apple also irritates and stains.
Frequently asked questions
Cashew: how big does it get?
Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) grows as a Tree and reaches roughly 11 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 10.7 m. Growth is very fast.
Cashew: what site does it need?
Cashew tolerates full sun. Suitable soils are Sand, Silt, Loam. Soil moisture should be in the range dry – moist. The pH may lie between 4.5 and 6.5.
Cashew: is it hardy?
Cashew is listed as hardy in zone 10–12 and survives normal winters outdoors there.
Cashew: will it grow in Central Europe?
Cashew is not winter-hardy in Central Europe (zone 10): outdoors from spring to autumn only, otherwise a container plant overwintered frost-free. The summer heat it needs to ripen is out of reach outdoors in Central Europe – greenhouse or conservatory.
Cashew: is it poisonous?
Cashew is classified as toxic. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone — only on a confident identification.
Cashew: what is it used for?
Rated on a scale up to 10: Edible 9/10, Medicinal 2/10, Other uses 5/10.
Which Cashew varieties are there?
The Permaplans variety finder lists 12 varieties of Cashew, including Bhaskara, BPP-8, CCP-76, Dhana, EMBRAPA 51, Faga 11, K-22-1, Madakkathara-2, Priyanka, Ullal-3, Vengurla-4, Vengurla-7. Each variety has its own page with taste, ripening time, disease resistance and parentage.
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