Grow macadamia in full sun on soil that drains, and water it while it is young. It is also called macadamia nut. The genus is Macadamia.
Give it full sun, soil that drains, and water while it is young
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun all day for growth and nuts | Do not site it in shade if you want a crop |
| Water | Water a young tree regularly; once it is established, water in a long dry spell and from bloom through nut fill | Do not leave a new tree dry in its first summers, and do not stand it in a bog |
| Soil | Deep loam or sand that stays moist but drains; feed twice a year with compost or a fertilizer made for Australian natives | Do not dump a high-phosphorus lawn feed on the roots |
| Winter | A frost-free site, or a young tree you can cover or roll under cover | Do not leave a young tree out through a freeze |
macadamia is Macadamia integrifolia, an evergreen nut tree in the protea family with glossy leaves in whorls of three and a hard, smooth shell inside a green husk. Give it a warm, open spot that does not stay wet after rain. [1] A young tree needs regular water. Once the roots run wide, it takes dry spells, but a long drought at bloom or while nuts fill still drops the crop. [2] Feed in spring and fall with compost, aged manure, or a native-plant fertilizer spread to the drip line. A high-phosphorus lawn product is the wrong feed for this family. [3] Young wood burns when the night drops near freezing. Cover it, or roll a potted tree under cover, before that night. A mature tree can take a brief light freeze; a young trunk cannot. [4] Plant the tree on Planting Macadamia. Cut after harvest on Pruning Macadamia.
How much sun does a macadamia tree need?
Give it full sun all day. Shade makes a thin crop and weak wood.
Is macadamia drought tolerant?
Yes, once it is established. Water a young tree regularly, then water again in a long dry spell and from bloom through nut fill.
It flowers in winter and spring, and needs bees
Drooping racemes of pink-white flowers open in winter and spring. The tree is not fully self- fertile, so bees have to work the strands if you want nuts. Two or three flowers on a strand turning into husks is a normal set. Rain at bloom wets the pollen and drops the set; a dry wilt at the same moment does the same, so water as soon as the green strands appear if the week is dry.
Why did my macadamia flower but set no nuts?
Often there were no bees, or rain wet the pollen, or the flowers wilted in a dry week. Water as the strands appear, and let bees reach the canopy.
Keep a young tree in a pot you can move
A young macadamia can live in a pot with a drainage hole while you protect it from frost. Open ground is still the home for a nutting tree, and a pot kept indoors in a dim room will not crop.
- Use a deep pot with a drainage hole, large enough for the nursery can it came in.
- Fill it with a mix that drains, and set the mix even with the old soil line.
- Keep the pot in full sun outdoors in warm weather.
- Roll it under cover before a freeze, then move it back out once nights are safe.
- Do not try to fruit it as a houseplant in a dim room.
Can I grow macadamia in a pot?
Yes, while the tree is small and you need to move it from frost. Give it a drainage hole, full sun, and mix that drains. Open ground is better once it is too heavy to roll.
Not banksia or grevillea — and Queensland nut is this tree
Banksia, grevillea, hakea, and protea sit in the same family, but they are grown for flowers, not for this nut. If the tag is banksia, read How to Grow Banksia. If it is grevillea, read How to Grow Grevillea. Hakea and protea have their own care on How to Grow Hakea and How to Grow Protea.
Pecan and hickory are in a different family with a different nut; if that is the crop you want, read How to Grow Hickory. Queensland nut, Bauple nut, bush nut, and Maroochi nut are other names on this same macadamia card, not a second tree. Gympie nut is a bitter cousin you do not eat.
Is Queensland nut a different plant?
No. Queensland nut is another name for this smooth-shelled macadamia, not a second species we hold.
Keep water going on a young tree, then ease off once it is established except in a long dry spell and from bloom through nut fill.
FAQ
Is there more than one kind of macadamia?
Shops also sell a rough-shelled cousin and named hybrids such as Beaumont. They want the same sun, drain, and frost-free site as this tree.
Are macadamia nuts toxic to dogs?
Yes. Keep cracked nuts and fallen husks away from dogs. Weakness, vomiting, and tremors can start within hours. Call a veterinarian if a dog eats them.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/macadamia-integrifolia/ - [2] Australian Macadamias -
https://www.australian-macadamias.org/caring-for-your-backyard-macadamia-tree-your-questions-answered/ - [3] Gardening Know How -
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/nut-trees/macadamia/how-to-grow-macadamia-trees.htm - [4] UF/IFAS Extension Volusia County -
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/volusiaco/2018/03/22/macadamia-production-as-an-alternative-crop/
This note is part of Macadamia Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors