腰豆樹

Up to 12m tall in height, this evergreen tree has a wide dome shaped crown and its foliage forms a thin peripheral canopy with protruding inflorescences (a flower cluster). Leaves simple and alternate. Flowers are in terminal panicles, about 10 – 20 cm long, male or female, green and reddish colour and are pollinated by honey bees, flies and possibly ants. Cross and self pollination occurs. Produced two fruits, the cashew apple and cashew nut. However, the cashew nut is the true fruit whereas the cashew apple is actually the swollen fruit stalk. Stem will ooze out a clear gum when injured. Anacardium occidentale can withstand dry condition provided that its extensive root systems has access to soil moisture. If planted at a dry area, a deep, well drained and penetrate-able soil is needed. Propagate by seed or grafting. Germination will start three weeks after sowing. Branches will soon emerge from the seedling stem and pruning will be required to attain a trunk height of 0.5-1.5 m. This juvenile period lasts for 3 to 4 years. Lower limbs (the lowest branches of the tree may reach 6 m or more in length and might be torn off during a storm.The new leaves grows in flushes and a major flush will follows the onset of the rainy season and within 3 – 4 months, an inflorescence will start to appear on many shoots. After 5 weeks, anthesis of the first flower occurs and over the next 5 – 6 weeks, further flowers (up to 1100) open up. Fruits will take two months to develop. It may have two flowering seasons when two distinct dry seasons occurs.Nut is usually roasted with oil before consuming. Cashew apple can be eaten fresh, mixed in fruit salad, and prepared a drink from the juice. Cashew wine, slightly fermented juice,can be distilled to produce strong alcoholic drinks.When doing weeding, cleaning the area within 1 m of the trunk and slashing out the remainder is important until the tree shade out most of the weeds.Anthracnose ( Colletorichum gloeosporioides ) attacks young shoots and flowers, under hot and humid condition, which dry up and are shed. Necrosis and shedding are the effects of the infection of fruits. It can only be controlled by removing and burning of infected parts.In cashew-growing areas, powdery mildew (white fungus growth) is common. Affected parts will be covered with white fungal growth and leaves may shrivel, dry up and be shed. Loss of flowers might occur as well. Sulphur will control the disease. Other fungi (damping off, wilts) have been recorded. Also, other local pests, e.g. wood borers, stem girdlers or sucking pests such as trip, may be destructive.

Pruning group 1 (Light pruning) — 基於植物形態自動推斷，非 RHS 官方分類。 大型喬木，僅需移除枯枝、病枝、交叉枝及方向不當的枝條。 熱帶環境下無明顯休眠期，全年皆可進行修剪。

Seed, Grafting