Macadamia

Excellent ornamental evergreen tree with dense, glossy foliage and attractive racemes of white-pink flowers. Creates beautiful shade canopy (6-12m tall) suitable for parks and large gardens. Windbreak potential in subtropical climates. The whorled leaf arrangement and textured bark add year-round architectural interest.

Traditional Aboriginal medicine used bark for treating dysentery. Nut oil contains palmitoleic acid beneficial for skin health and may support cardiovascular health. High in monounsaturated fats, may help reduce cholesterol. Rich in thiamine, manganese, and antioxidants. Some studies suggest anti-inflammatory properties.

Premium culinary nut with rich, buttery flavor - among world's finest nuts. Excellent raw, roasted, or in confections, especially chocolate-covered. Cold-pressed oil superb for salads and finishing dishes (high smoke point for cooking). Used in cookies, cakes, ice cream, and nut butters. Shells can be ground for smoking meats.

Native to Australian rainforest margins. Provides food for native rodents and birds (who can crack shells). Flowers attract bees and other pollinators. Deep taproot helps prevent erosion. Can be grown in polyculture with coffee, avocado. Slow-growing but long-lived (100+ years). Tolerates various soils if well-drained.

Evergreen tree with whorled leaves in groups of 3-4, leathery, serrated (M. integrifolia) or spiny-toothed (M. tetraphylla). Long pendulous racemes of small white to pink flowers. Extremely hard, round nuts in green husks splitting to reveal brown shell. Smooth gray-brown bark becoming rougher with age.

Limited timber use due to value as nut crop. Wood is pinkish-brown, medium density, with attractive grain suitable for specialty items like turned bowls, small furniture, and decorative veneers. Takes good polish. Shells extremely hard - used commercially as abrasive material and activated carbon production.

Has the hardest nut shell in the world - requires 300 pounds of pressure per square inch to crack. Toxic to dogs due to unknown compound. Takes 7-10 years to produce nuts, but can fruit for over a century. Hawaii now produces 70% of world crop despite Australian origin. Named after John Macadam, Scottish-Australian chemist.