Herb: Queensland Nut


Latin name: Macadamia tetraphylla


Family: Proteaceae



Edible parts of Queensland Nut:

Seed - raw or cooked. Pleasantly flavoured and nutritious. They can be eaten as a dessert nut and can also be ground into a flour and then mixed with cereal flours to enrich the protein content. The shell is very hard, making it difficult to extract the seed. The seed contains up to 72% of a high grade oil.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
10 m
(33 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

In or near rainforests.

Propagation of Queensland Nut:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse. The dehusked seed germinates quickly at 25°C. The seed can also be sown in the spring in a warm greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. If trying them outdoors, give the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters. Cultivars may be grafted.

Cultivation of the herb:

In or near rainforests.

Medicinal use of Queensland Nut:

None known

Known hazards of Macadamia tetraphylla:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.