Maior Cajueiro do Mundo Picture 6

More information on Maior cajueiro do mundo in Natal Photo by: Mateus Figueiredo

The world's largest cashew tree know as Maior Cajueiro do Mundo, is located in Natal and in 1994 was entered into the Guinness Book of Records as the largest cashew tree.  The tree gets it's size from two genetic issues, which allow branches to grow outwards instead of upwards.  With time, the branches bend toward the ground and actually take root.  The new rooted branch is capable of then growing up and further outwards.  The tree takes up 80,000 square feet or roughly five acres of land.  It's possible to climb a look out tower and view this massive tree from a vantage point, or to climb through the undergrowth of the tree.   The tree is estimated to be over one thousand years old!

Watch out for the large orange caterpillars!  Depending on the season you visit the tree, they could be swarming all over the branches, trunks and falling to the ground.  They are roughly the size of a finger, with long orange hair on them.  They look very attractive, but they're extremely poisonous and simply touching them will actually cause burns to appear. 

Most people have never seen a cashew nut tree and are equally unaware that the cashew nut is actually attached to the bottom of a piece of fruit.  In Brazil, cashew nut juice is fairly common and tastes nothing like a cashew nut!  This tree produces 60,000 pieces of fruit every year, each with a single cashew nut hanging from the bottom of the fruit.

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