Mango vs. Marañón: Anacardiaceae Fruit Trees

Both mango and marañón (cashew) are beloved fruit trees in Costa Rica from the Anacardiaceae family. While experienced gardeners know them well, beginners often confuse them - both have similar leaves, both produce fleshy fruits, and both contain urushiol compounds that can cause skin reactions. Here's how to tell them apart.

Mango

Marañón

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Side-by-Side Comparison

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Detailed Comparison Table

| Feature | Mango (Mangifera indica) | Marañón/Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------- | | Fruit Type | True drupe (single fruit) | Accessory fruit (apple) + true fruit (nut) | | Fruit Appearance | Oval/kidney-shaped, 10-25 cm long | Pear-shaped apple + kidney nut at bottom | | Fruit Colors | Green, yellow, red, orange (various) | Yellow to bright red cashew apple | | Edible Parts | Flesh around seed (eaten fresh) | Apple (eaten fresh) + nut (must be roasted) | | Seed/Nut | Large flat seed inside (not eaten) | Kidney-shaped nut attached outside (cashew nut) | | Tree Height | 15-30 m (can be 40 m) | 8-15 m (rarely taller) | | Tree Form | Upright, dense rounded crown | Irregular, spreading, crooked branches | | Leaf Size | Large: 15-30 cm long | Medium: 8-20 cm long | | Leaf Shape | Lanceolate to oblong, pointed tip | Obovate (wider at tip), rounded end | | Leaf Color | Dark green, often reddish when new | Light green to yellowish-green | | Flowers | Small pale yellow/pink, in panicles | Small pink/red, in terminal panicles | | Flowering Season | December-March | December-April | | Fruiting Season | April-August | March-June | | Bark | Rough, dark gray-brown, fissured | Rough, corky, reddish-brown | | Origin | Southeast Asia (India/Burma) | Brazil, spread to Central America | | Conservation Status | Least Concern (widely cultivated) | Least Concern (widely cultivated) |

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Key Identification Features

1. Fruit Structure (Diagnostic!)

Mango:

• Single fleshy drupe fruit
• Familiar mango shape - oval to kidney-shaped
• Fruit hangs from stem
• Flesh (mesocarp) surrounds large flat seed
• Colors: green (unripe) to yellow/red/orange (ripe)
• One seed inside that is NOT eaten raw

Marañón (Cashew):

• Unique double structure: Fleshy "apple" (accessory fruit) + hard nut (true fruit)
• Cashew "apple" (pseudocarp): Pear-shaped, fleshy, juicy, swollen stem
• Cashew nut: Kidney-shaped, attached at BOTTOM of apple
• Apple colors: Yellow to bright red when ripe
• Apple is edible fresh (sweet, astringent)
• Nut must be roasted to remove toxic shell oil

2. Leaves

Mango:

• Large leaves: 15-30 cm long, 2-8 cm wide
• Lanceolate to oblong shape
• Pointed tip (acuminate)
• New leaves often reddish or bronze, turning dark green
• Alternate arrangement
• Clusters at branch tips
• Strong mango scent when crushed

Marañón:

• Medium leaves: 8-20 cm long, 5-10 cm wide
• Obovate shape (wider near tip, rounded end)
• Rounded to slightly notched tip
• Light green to yellowish-green
• Alternate arrangement
• Leathery texture
• Resinous smell when crushed

3. Tree Form & Size

Mango:

• Large tree: 15-30 m tall (can reach 40 m)
• Dense, rounded, symmetrical crown
• Upright growth habit
• Straight trunk
• Extensive root system
• Professional appearance

Marañón:

• Smaller tree: 8-15 m tall
• Irregular, spreading crown
• Often crooked, twisted trunk
• Multiple stems common
• Sprawling growth habit
• Somewhat "messy" appearance

4. Bark

Mango:

• Rough texture
• Dark gray-brown color
• Deeply fissured on older trees
• Thick bark
• Resin when damaged

Marañón:

• Rough, corky texture
• Reddish-brown to gray
• Irregular fissuring
• Exfoliating in patches
• Dark resinous sap when cut

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Urushiol Safety - CRITICAL for Both Species

Mango Urushiol Exposure

• Skin (peel): Highest concentration in peel/rind
• Sap: All parts have some urushiol when damaged
• Fruit flesh: Generally safe to eat (peel carefully)
• "Mango Mouth": Rash around mouth from eating unpeeled fruit
• Severity: Moderate - reactions less severe than cashew

Marañón (Cashew) Urushiol Exposure

• Raw nut shell oil: EXTREMELY TOXIC - contains high urushiol concentration
• Never eat raw nuts: Can cause severe poisoning
• Roasting required: Traditional roasting removes toxic shell oil
• Cashew apple: Generally safe to eat (avoid contact with nut)
• Severity: HIGH - raw nut shell oil is dangerous

Safety Tips

1. Wear gloves when harvesting or handling either tree
2. Peel mangoes carefully - don't let peel touch face
3. NEVER eat raw cashew nuts - only properly processed cashews
4. Wash hands after handling fruits or trees
5. People sensitive to poison ivy should exercise extra caution
6. Cross-reactivity: Allergic to one? May react to the other

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When They Look Most Similar

Young Seedlings

• Both have alternate leaves
• Leaf shape not yet diagnostic
• Solution: Wait for fruit or check leaf tip shape (pointed vs. rounded)

From a Distance

• Both are medium-sized trees with spreading crowns
• Leaf color can look similar
• Solution: Look for fruit structure if present, or check tree size (mango much larger)

Without Fruit

• Both have similar flowering panicles
• Bark can look similar
• Solution: Check leaf shape (mango pointed, cashew rounded tip)

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Fruit Uses & Processing

Mango

Eaten Fresh:

• Peel carefully (urushiol in skin!)
• Slice flesh away from flat seed
• Popular in smoothies, salads, desserts

Processed:

• Dried mango
• Mango juice/nectar
• Mango chutney
• Pickled green mango

Marañón (Cashew)

Cashew Apple:

• Eaten fresh (sweet but astringent)
• Juice (popular in Costa Rica)
• Fermented into wine
• Jams and preserves

Cashew Nut:

• Must be roasted: Traditional roasting over fire removes toxic shell oil
• Commercially processed with careful safety protocols
• Cashew nuts sold in stores are always processed
• NEVER attempt to eat raw cashews from tree

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Quick Field Test

1. Is there a kidney-shaped nut attached to the bottom of a fleshy fruit?

   • YES → Marañón (Cashew)
   • NO → Mango

2. Are the leaves rounded at the tip?

   • YES → Marañón
   • NO (pointed) → Mango

3. Is the tree very large (20-30+ m)?

   • YES → Probably Mango
   • NO (8-15 m) → Probably Marañón

4. Is the crown irregular and sprawling?

   • YES → Marañón
   • NO (dense, rounded) → Mango

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Cultural & Economic Importance

Mango

• King of Fruits - one of world's most popular
• Hundreds of varieties worldwide
• Major commercial crop in Costa Rica
• Fresh export market
• National fruit of India, Pakistan, Philippines

Marañón (Cashew)

• Two products: Apple (local use) + nut (commercial)
• Cashew nut is valuable export commodity
• Traditional processing is skilled labor
• Cashew apple often underutilized (ferments quickly)
• Native to Brazil, now tropical worldwide

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Planting Considerations

Mango

• Space needed: Large tree - plant 10-12 m from buildings
• Water: Moderate, drought-tolerant once established
• Soil: Adaptable, well-drained
• Fruiting: 3-5 years from seed, 2-3 years grafted
• Pruning: Essential for size control and fruit production

Marañón

• Space needed: Smaller - plant 6-8 m from buildings
• Water: Low, extremely drought-tolerant
• Soil: Tolerates poor, sandy soil
• Fruiting: 3-4 years
• Maintenance: Low, naturally small
• Processing expertise: Need knowledge to process nuts safely

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Related Anacardiaceae Trees

Both are in the cashew family. Related Costa Rican species include:

• Jobo (Spondias mombin) - Yellow mombin, similar urushiol content
• Jocote (Spondias purpurea) - Red mombin
• Maraño de montaña (wild cashew relatives)

All share urushiol chemistry - handle with care!

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Tips for Beginners

Look for the fruit first - the double structure of marañón (apple + nut) is unmistakable.

Check leaf tips - pointed (mango) vs. rounded (marañón) is reliable year-round.

Size matters - mangos become very large trees; cashews stay smaller.

Respect urushiol - wear gloves when handling either species if you're sensitive to poison ivy.

Don't eat raw cashew nuts - this cannot be emphasized enough. Proper roasting is essential.