Common Name(s): Cashew

Scientific Name: Anacardium occidentale

Distribution: Central and South America

Average Dried Weight: 34.9 lbs/ft³ (560 kg/m³)

Janka Hardness: 770 lb_f (3,410 N)*

*Estimated hardness based on specific gravity

Comments: Cashew is much more well known for its edible nuts, and not for its wood. Many parts of the tree, such as the bark, fruit, and the shells of the nuts, contain strong skin irritants—similar in effect to poison ivy (both are in the Anacardiaceae family). The wood is a sensitizer, and has been known to cause skin irritation and blisters in some circumstances.