This is also the largest cashew tree in the world recognized by the Guinness World Records, with a canopy covering an area of about 8,500m2.
Recognized by the Guinness World Records in 1994, the world’s largest cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) Pirangi is located in Pirangi do Norte – a beach near Natal, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Since then, it has become one of the most extraordinary botanical attractions in the world.
The main trunk of the giant cashew tree radiates branches around it.
With an area of up to 8,500m2, the branches spread about 50 meters wide from the central area. According to recorded documentation, this ancient tree is over 100 years old, planted by a local fisherman named Luis Inácio de Oliveira in 1888. However, experts believe that based on the tree’s growth characteristics, Pirangi is estimated to be over 1,000 years old.
One thing is for sure, this is not an ordinary cashew tree. Pirangi is as large as 70 typical cashew trees, and to admire the entire tree, one must observe it from a special high vantage point. Pirangi produces over 60,000 cashew nuts each year and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from across Brazil.
The giant cashew tree is equivalent in size to two football fields.
Currently, the canopy spreads over an area equivalent to two football fields, about 70 times the usual size. Walking under the canopy, visitors feel as if they are in a forest of cashew trees, but in reality, there is only one tree. Additional roots have formed as the cashew branches touch the ground.
Visitors feel like they are walking through a forest, but in reality, there is only one tree.
Experts state that the massive size of the tree is the result of a genetic mutation that causes the branches to touch the ground and form new roots. Over time, these develop into a second trunk, a replica of the original tree. Currently, the tree continues to produce a large quantity of fruit and nuts.
The path leading visitors to explore inside the giant tree.
Warning sign advising visitors to be cautious not to damage the tree.
To get from Natal to this site, visitors will travel along a stunning coastal road, following the signs until they reach their destination. The entrance fee for this area is quite affordable.
The tree continues to produce a large quantity of nuts.
In addition to exploring the “forest” of giant trees, one of the visitors’ favorite activities is to take photos next to the gigantic cashew statue located outside, using the hashtag #maiorcajueirodomundo (meaning “the largest cashew tree in the world” in Portuguese).
Interestingly, there has emerged a “competitor” for the title of the largest cashew tree in the world against Pirangi. According to the secretary of the Piauí Tourism Department, the cashew tree on the Piauí coast is said to be the largest, covering an area of approximately 8,800m2. However, this claim has yet to be officially verified by Guinness.
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