Macadamia, Rough Shelled Bush Nut
Macadamia tetraphylla
Family: Proteaceae
What it is like
A tree which grows 8-15 m high. It spreads to 6-8 m wide. It has a spreading bushy habit. Young growth is red. Young leaves are coarsely toothed. The leaves are 6-30 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. They occur in whorls or rings of 3-5 leaves but usually 4 in a ring. The leaves are stiff and dark green. There are coarse spines on the edge of the leaf. The flowers are in dense stalks 15-45 cm long which hang down from the axils of leaves. The flowers are 1 cm long and slender. They are pink or white and densely hairy. The fruit are 2-3.5 cm across and green and leathery. The nuts are the same size. They are brown and rough. (It produces natural hybrids with Macadamia integrifolia.)
There are about 14 Macadamia species. They are mainly in Australia.
Where it is found
It is a subtropical plant. It can grow from temperate to tropical climates. It is grown in the highlands in the tropics. It grows naturally in Australia in the rainforest. It suits humid locations. It can grow in full sun or light shade. It will tolerate light frost. It needs a well-drained soils and benefits from mulching. It is more cold resistant than the Macadamia integrifolia. In Melbourne Botanical Gardens. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Asia, Australia (country/location of origin), Brazil, Central America, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, East Africa, Ethiopia, Fiji, Hawaii, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, North America, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, SE Asia, Singapore, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Tanzania, Tonga, USA, Venezuela, West Indies, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The nuts are eaten raw, roasted, fried or used in ice cream, nut butters, confectionery, bread, salads, sauces, cakes, biscuits, soups and milk shakes. The nuts are rich in oil.
Introduced into Papua New Guinea. Although not yet common in Papua New Guinea it is probably one of the nuts worth promoting. It is a cultivated food crop.
Edible parts
Seeds kernel, nuts
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seed. Fresh seed should be used and seeds germinate and grow easily. Budding or grafting onto seedlings is possible. They can be grown from cuttings.
In Australia, the nuts are ripe January to March.
Its other names
Local names
Bopple nut, Mukandania, Nuez de macadamia, Pohon kacang makadam