Plants

macadamia nut

Macadamia integrifolia Maiden & Betche

Family: Proteaceae · Genus: Macadamia

Queensland nut, smooth-shelled macadamia

Climax High No biomass production

macadamia nut — CC BY-SA · Wikimedia Commons

Australian tree grown for its high-value oily nut. EcoAgri lists it in the high stratum of the '> 50 years' bin. Adapts well to southern and southeastern Brazil; fruits in 5 years.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage: Climax
Ecological role: Late secondary
Primary stratum: High
Strata: High
Biomass class: No biomass production

Environment

Light requirement: Full sun
Water requirement: Moderate
Drought tolerance: Moderate
Soil pH range: 4.5–7
Preferred soil texture: Loamy, Sandy, Clayey
Hardiness zones: 9–12
Frost tolerance: -1.0 °C

Morphology

Mature height: 10–18 m
Recommended spacing: 7–8 m
Growth rate: Slow
Lifespan: ≥ 80 years
Time to first harvest: 60 months

Biomes & climate

Atlantic Forest Naturalized

Köppen classes

Humid subtropical (Cfa) Suitable
Subtropical with dry winter (Cwa) Suitable
Oceanic (Cfb) Suitable

Where it fits in a guild

Macadamia nut takes the High stratum in the Climax phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

Design my guild

Free account — and the catalog stays open, no sign-up needed.

🪴 Cultivation

Prefers well-drained acid-to-neutral soils with pH 5.0–6.5 (tolerates 4.5–7.0). Mature plants withstand only mild, brief frost — best where minima stay above −1 °C. Nuts in drooping racemes; the tree is slow to bear (5–10 years) with peak production after 10–15 years. Grafted plants crop earlier; ~7–8 m spacing ensures airflow and root development.