It’s a fact! In the Brazilian town of Parnamirim there is a unique cashew tree that is big enough to shade an entire park. For this reason it is one of the main attractions of the area. Cashew trees can grow very tall. However, unlike normal cashew trees, this tree suffers from a genetic anomaly, because its branches grow sidewards rather than upwards. They are bent down to the ground under their own weight and there form new roots. From the branches grow newer and newer trunks with yet more branches, giving the impression of a cashew wood rather than a single tree. The tree is believed to be about 115 years old. During this time it has grown to cover an area of 8,500 m2 – roughly equal to the size of a football field. 70 normal-sized cashew trees would fit inside this space. The giant tree is prevented from spreading any further by the roads that bound it. Incidentally, the genetic mutation responsible for the tree‘s unusual size does not negatively affect the quality of the cashew fruit. 2.5 tonnes of cashew fruit can be harvested from the tree every year.