Macadamia is a evergreen tree growing to 2 to 12 m tall. The leaves are arranged in whorls of three to six, with an entire or spiny-serrated margin.

The flowers are produced in a long slender simple raceme 5–30 cm long, the individual flowers 10–15 mm long, white to pink or purple.

The fruit is a very hard woody globose follicle with a pointed apex with one or two seeds.The genus is named after John Macadams who first described it.

Common names include Macadamia, Macadamia nut, Queensland nut, Bush nut, Maroochi nut, Queen of Nuts and bauple nut.

These nuts are high in fat and low in protein compared to almonds and cashews.They have the highest amount of mono saturated fats in any known nuts. They contain dietary fibers, minerals and vitamins.

Macadamias are toxic to dogs and cause weakness and paralysis of hind limbs with the inability to stand, occurring within 12 hours of ingestion.

Skincare Macadamia oil is prized for containing approximately 22% of the omega-7 palmitoleic acid which makes it a botanical alternative to mink oil, which contains about 17%. It is a desirable ingredient in cosmetics, especially skincare.

Other uses

The trees are also grown as ornamental plants in subtropical regions for their glossy foliage and attractive flowers.

Macadamia nuts are often used by law enforcement to simulate drug stings. When chopped, the nuts resemble crack cocaine in color.