9/5/2023 0 Comments Pictures of cashew trees![]() ![]() Very annoying when I consider that those nuts were to be eaten by my family and friends but the parrots are so entertaining that I really dont mind all that much. In the morning when I step out, I find chewed open shells and carelessly discarded cashew fruit carpeting the ground under each cashew tree. This stage also sees hordes of flying robbers invading my garden ! Flocks of parrots descend on my Cashew trees at all hours of the day, fighting over the delicious kernels. ! It's the stuff that sweet memories, if not legends, are made of. It's murder on the hands because the shell oil leaves a waxy coat that stains the hands for days and then starts peeling off in ugly strips. The pale white kernel is cooked into one of the most delicious dishes of coastal India. At this stage (slightly bigger than that in the photo above), the tender nut is often harvested and sliced up. The next stage is the 'greening' of the nut where the kernel forms inside. At this stage, the nut is just a hollow promise. At first, the nut and fruit, both have this liver-red colour. Just as odd, perhaps, is the fact that the nut develops first before the fruit starts to fill out. Did Ma Nature make a freakish mistake here? I can't think of any other fruit which has this odd arrangement. it doesnt look, smell or even remotely taste like apples! ) and nuts which strangely grow outside the fruits. The flowers give way to tiny little fruits called cashew apple ( I haven't the faintest idea why. And if there's no one around, I'll just have to take the long way around, following the shade of one tree to the next. I sprint to the blessed shade of the Cashew tree and have to call out to someone to rescue me with some footwear. ![]() More often than not, I find myself running out bare-foot, following a pretty bird or butterfly, only to realise too late that while they can fly, I can not and the ground beneath my feet is like one huge bed of burning coals. Just one of my cashew trees is almost as big as a tennis-court ! Short, squat and expansive she may be, but all the migratory birds flock to her as if they can sense her comforting shelter.Īs for me, I love sitting in her shade on the blazing-hot, sunny Indian summer days. Earth mother-like, she spreads her branches to cover as much area as possible. The Cashew tree's ample girth is one of her most attractive features. So my trees are probably the offspring of these Brazilians-turned-Mumbaikars ! Cashew trees are perfectly okay with a bit of roughing it out and ran wild all along the coast. I'm told that the Portuguese traders brought these trees from Brazil way back in the 16th century and planted them along the coast to prevent soil erosion. Most probably, they were self-propagated. They're the oldest trees in my garden and I have no idea who planted them here. Bees, butterflies, ants, they're all over the Cashew trees. With the masses of tiny flowers opening up, the Cashews become the most sought-after trees in my garden. And it's true, she and her sisters are sporting new leaves and buds. "Look at me ! I feel so fresh, " she seems to preen. Then comes the early December mornings with the first hint of chill in distant lands and Ol' ma'am Cashew steps out of her spa. So she tries on some new mossy clothes, rearranges her hair, drinks more than she should, maybe, and just. can you see her 'face'? ) This is the first time in months that she's really free to do so, after all. Ol' ma'am Cashew stretches her limbs and relaxes. ![]() It all begins in the lazy, wet monsoon days in June - July. There are buds to bloom, bees to invite, fruit to grow. Native to northeastern Brazil, now grown in much of tropical America and Africa.In my garden, the cashew trees are bustling with activity. Usesįruit is eaten fresh, nut is roasted and eaten. Budding and air-layering also sometimes used. Growing EnvironmentĬashew's generally prefer ample water, but too much rainfall and/or very high humidity may retard growth, trees seem to do better in slightly drier tropical climates. Temperatures below 32F, even for brief periods, may cause several wood and leaf burn. HardinessĬashew trees are tropical and will not grow in areas that have frost. The cashew can be kept to a small size, and will fruit in a container. ![]() Flowers are small and pink, and are usually borne during early summer. DescriptionĪ fast-growing, medium sized tree to 40ft. Seeds are now available at our seed store. ![]()
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