Cashew Tree (Marañón)

About the Cashew Tree (Marañón)

The cashew tree gives two harvests in one. Each fruit is a juicy, bell-shaped red or yellow cashew apple, with the kidney-shaped cashew nut hanging beneath it. In Mexico the apple, marañón, is loved for aguas frescas, preserves and sweets, with a tangy, astringent, tropical flavour. The nut must be roasted and shelled with care, because the raw shell contains a caustic oil that irritates skin. The tree is spreading, tough and drought-tolerant, well suited to hot, dry or coastal regions and sandy soils. Grown on our farms in Yucatán and Chiapas and shipped via DHL.

How to Care for It

Plant in full sun in light, sandy, well-drained soil; it tolerates poor soils but not waterlogging. Water young trees regularly; mature trees are drought-tolerant, though watering during flowering and fruiting improves yields. Feed lightly with balanced fertiliser at the start of the rainy season. Protect from frost. Prune to remove low and crossing branches. Wear gloves when handling raw nuts.

The backbone of a tropical orchard. Mangoes, Booth 8 avocado, red mamey, chicozapote, carambola, dwarf coconuts, jackfruit and dragon fruit: reliable, productive trees that thrive in Mexico's warm lowlands and coasts, grown on our farms and shipped by DHL.

Growing Profile

Botanical name

Anacardium occidentale

Family

Anacardiaceae

Native to

North-eastern Brazil

Mature height

5–10 m

Plant spacing

8 m

Years to first fruit

3–4 years

Light

Full sun

Water

Low, drought tolerant

Cold tolerance

down to 2 °C

Best climates

Dry tropics, Humid tropics

Grows in a pot

Best in the ground

Ships from

Our farms in Yucatán & Chiapas