Where are Macadamia Nuts Grown?

The Macadamia tree originated in the rain forests of Queensland Australia. Macadamia nuts were considered a delicacy and a treasure by the Aboriginal people. In the 1880s, the first Macadamia plantation was established in New South Wales. It was around that same time Macadamia nuts were brought to Hawaii. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that Macadamia nuts started being grown in Hawaii as a commercial crop. Presently, Macadamia nuts are also grown in Florida and California, Latin America, Asia and Africa. Currently, Africa is the world’s largest producer of Macadamia nuts.

The Appearance of Macadamia trees

Growing Macadamia nuts is not a quick event. The Macadamia tree is spectacular. Its dark green foliage is the perfect backdrop for the amazingly beautiful, ivory-colored blossoms. The blossoms grow on long spikes. A spike can have over one hundred flowers on it making the tree a stunning sight. It takes approximately seven to ten years for a Macadamia tree to begin producing nuts. These nuts have an incredibly hard, round, woody shell. Inside that shell is a delectable sweet, buttery nut with a luscious creamy texture that leaves no doubt as to why these nuts were considered a treasure.

Growing a Macadamia Tree

Macadamia trees can be grown in United States hardiness zones 9-11. The trees require full sun and a temperature range between 65 degrees and 85 degrees. A Macadamia tree needs extra care and protection in areas where the temperature drops below 45 degrees. Macadamia trees require a lot of water. Insufficient watering can result in a poor harvest. Macadamia nuts fall from the tree from late fall to early spring. The nuts should be picked up off the ground daily. The nuts will then need to be placed in a dry, sunny location to air-dry for several weeks. Following that drying out period, the nuts need to be dried in a 100 degrees oven to finish the drying process. A dehydrator can be used to dry the nuts instead of an oven. The dry Macadamia nuts can be stored in an air-tight container or stored in the freezer.