Macadamia Species, Smoothshell Macadamia Nut Tree, Queensland Nut

As a new Floridian in 2016, I wanted to try and grow macadamia trees. I bought several small trees and started some seedlings. I have a...Read More Beaumont variety in my front yard that I planted in November 2017. On January 18, 2018 my weather station recorded a low of 26 degrees. The water in our bird bath was frozen solid. Our hibiscus were killed to the ground. All my macadamia trees and seedlings survived the freeze with no apparent damage. After just 4.5 years the tree in my front yard is now 12 feet tall and growing rapidly. The flowers have a wonderful fragrant odor and provide abundant forage for insects. Every fall the tree is overrun by squirrels. I highly recommend macadamia as a yard tree for those who live in zone 9b or warmer.

Some friends bought some property 13 miles from the coast in Sebastopol, CA, about 400' elevation, Eastern-facing, "Gold Ridge" Soils, an...Read Mored it has a single 25'+ Mac Nut Tree which bears well. The nuts are very tasty. Not sure how frequently it bears yet.
We don't know the variety, but one of the previous owners was a CRFG member.
I have some seedlings I transplanted and more I started from nuts collected there.
The ten

I am entering the third year of growing a small grove of Macadamia trees on the north side of my house. I have three different cultivars,...Read More mostly Beaumont but one Arkin Papershell and one Dana White, the grafted trees being between 4-5 years old. This year all except the Dana White flowered, but there are only a few nuts left hanging on. The problem seemed to be a lack of pollinators this year. I spent time observing the flowers at least once or twice a day and saw only a couple of insects visiting the flowers. This winter was very warm and especially dry, so maybe next year will be better for the insects ... or I may have to take up beekeeping.

The trees are doing fine, growing quickly underneath the light shade provided by Moringa oleifera trees that are proving to be a good nurse species. I expect in another 2-3 years the Macadamia trees will emerge from this light canopy and be above rooftop level if the current growth rate continues.

We had two of these trees when we lived in Claremont, CA, zone 8a the nuts can be variable as stated. We had one in the front yard that...Read More was delicious, but the one in the back yard was bland. (We took that one out.)

The trees are extremely hearty and even after losing 3/4 of its top in the wind it quickly filled in and we had nuts in no time! Well worth planting, but be sure to pick a known and delicious variety.