Cashew Road and Cashew Trees and Nuts

In case you are wondering, as I was, what a Cashew tree looks like and whether it would be fun to grow one, here's a picture from Wikipedia by L Shyamal. Singapore has Orchard Road in the middle, and mango trees on the main Upper East Coast road. But according to one of the websites about the history of Singapore place names, often roads in an area were on a theme such as fruits, or nut trees, not relating to the local vegetation. 

Going uphill from Cashew station on Upper Bukit Timah Road, along Cashew Road you will also find Chestnut Drive, Almond Street, Hazel Park, and Walnut.

The cashew nut grows under the edible cashew apple, but the nut is encased in a dangerously acidic liquid. So I was not surprised they don't risk growing little cashew nut trees in Cashew Road outside the schools.

Photo of cashew apple and nut: from Wikipedia by Abhishek Jacob.

Then I spoke to Mr Lau who is writing a book for his own satisfaction on the trees on the Cashew Heights estate. He assured me that Cashew Heights had and still has cashew nut trees, although the estate's symbol is a Raintree.

http://remembersingapore.org/2011/04/04/old-names-of-places/

http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/growing-cashews.html