Maybe in South Texas if you water it a lot. They are native to Brazil and like it hot and humid. I do not know anyone growing one, and I do not know how cold hardy it is (just that I think it is considered "tropical").

Thank you John I appreciate your in put
do you have any idea how to extract the nut without fouling it?

In Brazil, the natives used a wooden hammer and a wire. Unfortunately I did not pay too much attention to the process. After doing a quick Google search, it's amazing how little information there is out there on cashew trees.

hah! how interesting! i was reading that you have to now how to remove the nut without contaminating it This is what i read.

Technically, the actual nut is the thick-shelled seed. The outer shell (coat) of the seed contains the poison oak allergen urushiol, and may cause dermatitis in hypersensitive people.
There is a toxic resin inside the shell layer. If the shell is not opened properly, the resin will get on the cashew nut, making it inedible.

But then you saw the natives in brazil opening it the way i would have too and they seem to be ok LOL

How fortunate you were to have been in Brazil!

If you can think of anything else please let me k now it has been a pleassure corresponding with you.

There are several growing here in Galveston. No idea if they produce or not.
The actual part you eat kind of hangs from the bottom of a large fruit like thing. I remember seeing them hanging off the trees in Belize and Guatemala and being amazed that the cashew was just hanging there. They are related to poison ivy and mangoes. And those little pink things that are in mixed peppercorns. Like all members of the family the sap causes a rash, it can be just as severe as poison ivy.
The locals pick and roast them and sell them in the markets. Usually in recycled jars.
Tally HO!

I saw growing and producing cashew trees in the Philippines, Hawaii, Guam, Thailand and most of Southeast Asia. I actually asked how to grow one and I was told just to pluck the fruit from the tree, eat the apple part and dry the seed whole for about a week then plant the whole thing. I do not know how long it takes for it to germinate whole. I asked my Vietnamese friend on how to speed up the germination process. She said to soak the seed in tepid water until the outer covering burst then plant it with the covering and all.
I would think that cashew trees will have the same requirements as those of mangoes since they both grow in the same tropical areas.
Hope this helps.

I live in west central fl will they grow here? And where could I buy one?

Hello folks,
I am brand new to this forum. I grew up eating cajus in northeast Brazil. Cajus are tropical trees and are sensitive to cold. I grew a very large tree here in the Fort Myers area. The first few year a grew it in a pot. The first and second year the tree was into the ground, I used to cover it with a blanket and I put a light bulb to warm up the tree during cold nights.
The tree was toppled several times by hurricanes and I decided to cut it down. Currently, I have two seedlings that I started from seeds. I guess I can not stay away from cajus (cashews). I am thinking about getting seeds from a dwarf variety and start the process all over.
Grow from a seed - soak the seed in water one or two days until the outer shell gets a little soft. Sow the seed in a good quality potting soil and keep the soil moist.
Keep it in a pot until it gets a little bigger and stronger.
Good luck!

Welcome Berto
How great that yougrew up eating Caju
Do you remember how to process the nut without cooking it?

Yes,
Ideally the nuts should be big ones. Cajus come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. The nuts (castanhas) are small or large. It depends of the variety. In Brazil, we call the fruit, caju and the nut, castanha. First we put the nuts (castanhas) to dry in the sun. When they are very dry, the color is kind of brown. It takes several days for them to become nice and dry. Be careful when you roast the nuts, they release a very toxic oil that may burn your skin.
As a child, I used to make a bonfire to roast the nuts. I made holes on the lid of a large can (like a metal cooking sheet with small holes all over). The holes help the fire reach the nuts. You roast the nuts until they are charred black. Let them cool and crack them open using a small stone or a small hammer. It is a very messy process, but it was a lot of fun. The flavor of a freshly roasted castanha is outstanding! Delicious! Good luck and have fun! Be careful!

Berto I was hoping to eat the cashew castanha raw but either way it sounds like you had a blast eating yours in Brazil WHAT A PRIVILEDGE TO LIVE IN A PLACE LIKE THAT!

Is the fruit edible!?

The fruit is very edible, eaten fresh, used in ice cream, candied in desserts, and also used to make juice or combined with cachaca in drinks called batidas de caju. Anyway you have it, it's delicious.

Seedlings are available on eBay. Good luck!