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.
I Import and grow Macadamias in Tucuman Argentina, they grow easily if planded on their side, about 2cms deep in 20cms of river sand. Onl...Read Morey half of them germinate and it takes one month. I put them in 4 litre plastic nursary bags when they're 7cms high. The East coast of Australia near Brisbane (where Maca's come from) enjoys 1.2 metres of rain per year, most of this is in the summer months. They need both water and drainage to thrive, but in Australia Ive seen them growing in clay with 40cms or rain and choked with weeds. I tell people here (you cant kill'em with a shotgun)
Port Charlotte, FL (Zone 10a) | September 2009 | neutral
I planted my tree about five years ago, it grew very fast, but only produced nuts on one occasion. I recently added sulfur to the soil. I...Read More understand these trees need acid soil, thats not common in south Florida. I would like to hear from folks through your D-Mail who have had good luck in this area. I am also wondering how many different varieties exist.
I am in a subtropical climate in Mexico. I bought some small macadamia nut trees and they are growing well. I planted a large lot of s...Read Moreeeds (nuts) about a month ago and they are now sprouting. The new leaves are purple-tinged, very pretty. This plant seems very tough. The leaves look like holly. The roots are long relative to the size of the plant so they are probably quite drought-tolerant and good for erosion control.
San Antonio, TX (Zone 8b) | October 2007 | neutral
I have not grown this plant.
It may be propagated also by softwood cuttings, grafting and seed. Seed propagated trees m...Read Moreay take 8 to 12 years to bear a crop with the quality of the nuts being variable.
Very attractive and relatively common landscape tree here in Southern California. New leaf growth is especially nice. Usually only good...Read More crop of nuts near the coast. inland less so. Very tolerant of high and low water situations.
This isn´t a common plant in Rio de Janeiro either, though the climate here is apropriate to grow this. The nuts (fried, cooked, or cove...Read Morered with sugar) are delicious and nutricious. Not to mention that this is a lovely plant with a beautiful foliage.
Murfreesboro, TN (Zone 7a) | September 2003 | positive
We can't grow them in Tennessee, but this Australian native (imported to Hawaii in the late 1800s) is a nice tropical ornamental tree pri...Read Morezed for its delicious nuts.
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
Some friends bought some property 13 miles from the coast in Sebastopol, CA, about 400' elevation, Eastern-facing, "Gold Ridge" Soils, an...Read More
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
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
I Import and grow Macadamias in Tucuman Argentina, they grow easily if planded on their side, about 2cms deep in 20cms of river sand. Onl...Read More
I planted my tree about five years ago, it grew very fast, but only produced nuts on one occasion. I recently added sulfur to the soil. I...Read More
I am in a subtropical climate in Mexico. I bought some small macadamia nut trees and they are growing well. I planted a large lot of s...Read More
I have not grown this plant.
It may be propagated also by softwood cuttings, grafting and seed. Seed propagated trees m...Read More
Very attractive and relatively common landscape tree here in Southern California. New leaf growth is especially nice. Usually only good...Read More
This isn´t a common plant in Rio de Janeiro either, though the climate here is apropriate to grow this. The nuts (fried, cooked, or cove...Read More
We can't grow them in Tennessee, but this Australian native (imported to Hawaii in the late 1800s) is a nice tropical ornamental tree pri...Read More