Macadamia Nut is a large, broad leaf evergreen tree in the wintergreen family and native to the rain forests of New South Wales in the south eastern corner of Australia. It was introduced to Hawaii from which most of the commercial nuts come from today. The tree is an attractive evergreen and can make a good shade and flowering tree. At maturity, it will reach a height of 50 feet and a spread of 40 fee. The large leaves occur in whorls and the pink fragrant flowers are in drooping clusters. The genus name honors John Macadam (1827-1865), a chemist and lecturer in Melborne, Australia. The species name means with entire or uncut leaves. There are two species of macadamia nuts grown today: M. integrifolia is the most common and has a smooth shell while M. teteraphylla has a rough shell. Macadamia Nut trees prefer humus-rich, moist, well drained soils in full sun and are intolerant of frost. They need lots of water when young, but become drought tolerant with age. In its natural habitat, young trees benefit from a consistent rainfall of 50 inches per year. The tree will start producing fruit at 6 to 7 years of age. In colder climates, it can be grown in a pot and brought into a greenhouse in the winter. The tree should also be planted in a site that protects it from strong winds. Ingesting parts of this tree can cause depression, hyperthermia, weakness, muscular stiffness, vomiting, tremors, and increased heart rate in dogs. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The trees in Australia have been affected by fungal pathogens that cause flower blight.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
24-60 feet
Mature size
Height: 30 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in. | Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-trunked
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Undulate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Eight to ten inch long evergreen leaves are oblong-lanceolate to oblong-ovate in whorls of three. Margins slightly wavy.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Drooping 8 inch racemes of 1/2 inch long, fragrant pinkish-white flowers appear in winter and spring.
Bloom time
Spring; Winter
Fruit color
White
Fruit type
Nut
Fruit value
Edible; Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Green husks surround the hard, smooth shells that enclose creamy-white nuts.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Eastern Australia, New South Wales
Distribution
Hawaii, California, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Mozambique, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Peru.
Attracts
Bees; Pollinators
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Edible fruit; Shade
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit; Nuts
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Nut
Edibility
Nuts are edible raw or cooked and ground into flour.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Macadamia nuts are a valuable food crop.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Lawn
Landscape theme
Edible Garden
Design feature
Flowering Tree; Shade Tree
Garden tags
#evergreen tree #evergreen #problem for dogs #flowering tree #frost tender #edible fruits #shade tree #fragrant flowers #full sun tolerant #broadleaf evergreen #slow growing #hortcontest