1. My ancestors came from the southeastern region of Queensland. So we are natives of Australia. I even have Aboriginal names such as Gyndl, Jindilli and Boombera. But the Australians give me many names in English. Sometimes they call me macadamia nut. At other times, they call me bush nut, maroochi nut and bauple nut. The name I like best is of course Queen of nuts. My scientific names, if you're curious to know, are Macadamia integrifolia (smooth shelled) and Macadamia tetraphylla (rough shelled).
2. Allan Cunningham was the first European botanist who informed the world of my existence. However, I was named after John Macadam, a prominent scientist and dear friend of Baron Sir Ferdinand Jakob Heinrich von Mueller who first described my genus.
nut in husk 100 kgs.
nut in shell 48 kgs.
kernel 8 kgs.
3. My husk is very thick and hard. They say mine is the hardest shell among all the nuts and requires the pressure of up to 300 lbs per square inch to crack me. No surprise most of my weight goes to my husk and shell. So, 100 kgs. of nuts in husk will yield only 48 kgs. of nuts in shell and only 8 kgs. of kernels. My master always complains about the weight of my husk and shell which takes away so much so that she has to sell me at a higher price than she would like to.
4. I'm very easy to harvest. Just wait until I'm mature enough to drop to the ground. The only exception is my relative, the O.C. variety, which does not fall from the tree when ripe and needs some shaking or a long pole to knock them down.
5. If you want to have a good yield, you should grow at least 2 varieties in the same plot. And if you keep bees in the orchard, it will help better pollination.
6. Lastly, just a small tip for dog lovers. I am toxic to dogs and can make them vomit, shiver, paralyze, unable to stand and depressed. How bad the symptoms are depends on the quantity ingested and the size of the dog. Usually, the symptoms occur within 12 hours of ingestion and full recovery within 24 to 48 hours after that.
