Macadamia
A slow-to-crop, frost-tender nut tree only reliably grown in New Zealand's warmest coastal, near-frost-free areas (Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty and similar northern microclimates) - no planting window is given for the other regions in this database. Left unpruned it can eventually reach 12-20m with a wide canopy, but home gardeners routinely prune it for ease of picking and manageable size, keeping it closer to 5-6m. Patience is required: trees generally don't produce a meaningful nut crop until around 10 years old, though they're long-lived once established. Young trees need frost protection for their first few years even in suitable areas.
- Sun
- full sun
- Water
- moderate
- Spacing
- 800cm
- Harvest
- Ready in about 8-10 years
- Difficulty
- advanced
- Grows in
- Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay
- Expected yield
- a modest home harvest of several kg of nuts-in-shell per mature tree per season
- Cost to grow
- ~$45 NZD
- Grocery value
- ~$150 NZD
- Mature height
- 6m
- Attracts wildlife
- Bees
- Evergreen
- Yes
- Common diseases
- Phytophthora root rot, Anthracnose, Macadamia leaf scorch
- Common pests
- Green vegetable bug, Guava moth
When to plant by region
In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier / Hawke's Bay: September-November.
Growing stages
Planting & establishmentFirst few months
- Only reliably grown in NZ's warmest, near-frost-free coastal areas (Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty and similar); no planting window is given for other regions in this database
- Young trees need frost protection for their first few years even in suitable areas
- Water moderately while establishing
Early growthFirst 1-2 years
- Watch for green vegetable bug and guava moth
- Phytophthora root rot and macadamia leaf scorch can appear if drainage is poor
- Left unpruned it can eventually reach 12-20m; most home gardeners prune to around 5-6m for ease of picking
Flowering & fruiting
- Bees pollinate the flowers
- Anthracnose can affect developing nuts in humid weather
- This is a slow-to-crop tree, so don't expect a meaningful nut set for some years yet
MaturityMeaningful nut crop from around year 10
- A modest home harvest of several kg of nuts-in-shell per season follows once cropping begins
- Continue watching for green vegetable bug and guava moth on ripening nuts
- Long-lived once established, needing little further intervention beyond routine pest checks