Atherton oak, White Oak, Creamy silky oak, Atherton nut
Athertonia diversifolia

Family: Proteaceae

What it is like

An evergreen tree. It grows up to 20-30 m high. It spreads 5-8 m wide. The leaves are simple and 9-35 cm long. They can be entire or have teeth along the edge. The young leaves have lobes and mature leaves are shiny on the upper side. Flowers are small and congested. They occur in slender racemes which droop. The fruit are 4 cm long by 3.5 cm wide. They are blue. They hang on stalks. They can be on the end of twigs or hang from the trunk. There is one seed inside. The kernel of the seed is edible.

There is only one Athertonia species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in highland rainforest in Queensland, Australia. It grows up to 1,200 m altitude. It can grow from tropical to warm temperate regions. It needs moist well drained soils. It is frost tender when young.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

The kernels are sweet and edible.

Edible parts

Kernel, nuts

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. The seed should be sown fresh. Older seeds need treatment to get them to grow. It can be grown from cuttings.

It is slow growing. Flowering and fruiting start at about 7-8 years.

Its other names

Local names

"Helicia nuts"

Synonyms

Helicia diversifolia C.T.White; Hicksbeachia diversifolia (C. T. White) Sleumer;