Crop · Tree nut crop
Macadamia
Macadamia integrifolia and Macadamia tetraphylla, and hybrids between the two, which make up most commercial cultivars
Also known as: Macadamia nut, Queensland nut
Macadamia is an evergreen tree native to Australia, grown for its round, hard-shelled nut valued for its rich kernel and used mainly as a premium snack and confectionery ingredient.
Macadamia is one of the few major commercial tree nuts native to Australia, where wild populations still occur in subtropical rainforest margins. Commercial cultivation began in Hawaii before expanding to other subtropical regions worldwide.
The tree bears a hard, round shell enclosing a single kernel prized for its high oil content and distinctive flavor, which commands a premium price relative to most other tree nuts.
Overview
Macadamia is grown in dedicated orchards of grafted cultivars selected for kernel quality, nut retention, and disease tolerance. Trees are slow-growing and long-lived, typically taking several years to reach significant bearing.
Commercial production is concentrated in a relatively small number of subtropical growing regions worldwide, reflecting the tree’s narrow climatic tolerance compared with many other tree nuts.
Botanical classification
- Family
- Proteaceae
- Genus
- Macadamia
- Principal species
- Macadamia integrifolia; Macadamia tetraphylla; commercial hybrids of the two
- Growth habit
- Evergreen tree bearing racemes of flowers followed by a hard, globose nut in a fleshy husk
Origin and distribution
Macadamia is native to subtropical rainforest areas of eastern Australia, where it was used by Aboriginal peoples long before European settlement. Commercial breeding and orchard development began in Hawaii in the early twentieth century, which for decades led global production.
Australia, South Africa, Kenya, and Hawaii are now among the leading producing regions, with additional plantings in other subtropical countries. Production statistics are compiled by FAO and national agricultural agencies.
Climate and soil requirements
Macadamia requires a subtropical to tropical climate with well-distributed rainfall and moderate temperatures; it has little tolerance for frost, which can damage flowers, young growth, and even mature trees in severe cases.
Trees are grown on well-drained, slightly acidic loams and sandy loams. Shallow or poorly drained soils increase the risk of root disease and restrict the tree’s relatively shallow root system.
Cultivation and management
- Grafted cultivars selected for kernel recovery, nut retention, and regional disease tolerance
- Windbreaks commonly used, since macadamia flowers and immature nuts are vulnerable to wind damage
- Canopy management to maintain light penetration and ease mechanical harvesting
- Extended orchard establishment period before trees reach significant commercial bearing
Nutrient considerations
Nitrogen supports canopy growth, while potassium is closely tied to nut fill and kernel development in macadamia, making its supply a key consideration in orchard nutrition programs.
Water and irrigation
Consistent moisture during flowering and nut development supports yield and kernel quality, and irrigation is widely used in drier production regions or during periods of low rainfall.
Irrigation scheduling is based on local evapotranspiration estimates and soil moisture monitoring, since both prolonged drought and waterlogging can harm tree health.
Common diseases and pests
Phytophthora root rot is one of the most significant diseases of macadamia, particularly on poorly drained sites, and husk and stem anthracnose can affect nuts and young growth under humid conditions. Thrips can scar developing nut husks, and weevils are documented pests affecting nuts in some producing regions.
| Problem | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Root rot (Phytophthora) | Disease | Most significant on poorly drained sites |
| Anthracnose | Disease | Affects husks and young growth in humid conditions |
| Thrips | Pest | Scarring damage to developing nut husks |
| Weevils | Pest | Feed on nuts in some producing regions |
Harvest
Mature nuts drop naturally from the tree and are collected from the orchard floor, typically by mechanical sweepers in commercial operations, then dehusked and dried before cracking and grading.
Uses
- Whole and processed kernels used as a premium snack nut, raw or roasted
- Confectionery and baking ingredient
- Macadamia oil pressed from kernels for culinary use
- Shells used in some regions as fuel or mulch
What this page covers
genus conceptThis page covers macadamia as a crop. Only two of the genus are grown for nuts — Macadamia integrifolia and M. tetraphylla — together with hybrids between them, and a large share of commercial plantings are those hybrids rather than either species.
The page covers several cultivated species of one genus. Each is a real, separately verifiable taxon; the page exists because the trade name covers all of them.
| Taxon | In this corpus | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Macadamia integrifoliaSmooth-shell macadamia | held as a verified taxon — listed in the taxa register, no page of its own | The smooth-shelled species. The Hawaiian cultivars developed from it account for most of world production and are the founders of current breeding programmes. |
| Macadamia tetraphyllaRough-shell macadamia | held as a verified taxon — listed in the taxa register, no page of its own | The rough-shelled species. A few pure cultivars are grown commercially, mainly in South Africa; most of its commercial contribution is through hybrids with M. integrifolia. |
When a taxon here earns its own page: Both species were verified against both authorities in Wave 35 and are now held as taxa. Promotion is a separate question and the answer is currently no: most commercial material is interspecific hybrid, so a page for either species alone would describe a minority of the crop while the genus page describes the rest. That would have to change before a split made sense.
Botanical identity
Genus-level crop concept- Accepted name
- MacadamiaF.Muell.
- Family
- Proteaceae
- Genus
- Macadamia
- Harvested part
- seed
- Agricultural use
- human food
- Crop group
- Nuts
What the authorities say
- Plants of the World Online
- Macadamia
Commercial macadamia is grown from two species, Macadamia integrifolia and M. tetraphylla, and from hybrids between them. Both species are verified separately. Naming one as "macadamia" would be wrong about a large part of the crop.
- Commercial orchards grow M. integrifolia, M. tetraphylla and interspecific hybrids of the two.
Botanical identity here is what the consulted taxonomic authorities publish, on the date they were read. Where authorities disagree, both readings are shown rather than one being chosen silently.
What AgricultureID holds for this crop
- 2 soil references
- 2 climate references
Not held
- No crop calendar records — source exists not mapped
- No published cultivars — not researched
- No official variety registrations — source exists not mapped
- No verified extension resources — source exists not ingested
- No pests and diseases naming this crop as a host — source exists not ingested
- No farm economics observations — source exists not mapped
- No market price series — source exists not mapped
- No related crops — not applicable
An absence here means this corpus holds no such record, not that none exists.
Tools for this
Each tool shows its formula, constants and sources, and starts empty — nothing is filled in from this page.
- Seed-rate calculator
Convert a target plant stand into a seed rate, allowing for germination and establishment.
- Row spacing calculator
Work out in-row spacing and plants per metre of row for a target density.
- Production, area and yield calculator
Relate a harvested area and a yield to a production total, in either direction.
- Growing degree-days calculator
Accumulate heat units against a base temperature.
Relationships
Evidence-backed connections in the knowledge graph.
Susceptible to
Suitable soils
Irrigation methods
Managed with
Farming systems
Scope & limitations
Geographic scope: Global overview; major production in Australia, South Africa, Kenya, and Hawaii, with additional plantings in other subtropical regions.
Climate context: Subtropical to tropical evergreen tree crop with well-distributed rainfall needs and little tolerance for frost.
- Kernel recovery and quality vary by cultivar, climate, and post-harvest handling, which are not detailed exhaustively here.
- Production statistics change annually and should be taken from primary datasets such as FAOSTAT.
Sources
This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.
- [1]FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Cited for: Global macadamia production context
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [2]FAOSTAT — FAO statistical database (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Cited for: Production and area statistics
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [3]CABI Digital Library — Crop Protection Compendium (opens in a new tab)High
CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International)
Cited for: Macadamia disease and pest compendium data
- Type:
- Reference database
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- Authoritative
Cited for: Classification and nomenclature
- Type:
- Reference database
- Jurisdiction:
- United States
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12