Queensland Macadamia is grown for its foliage and the structure it brings to a planting. It's hardy across USDA zones 9 through 11. Its spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees. It roots deep, which helps it reach moisture in a dry spell and open up tight soil as it establishes.
Queensland Macadamia — the short answer
Queensland Macadamia: grown in zones 9–11, full sun, pH 4.5–8.
- USDA zones
- 9–11
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 4.5–8
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Frost-kill temperature
- 30.2°F
- FAO ECOCROP
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Queensland Macadamia on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether queensland macadamia actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score queensland macadamia against your land's real conditions.
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See Queensland Macadamia
What Queensland Macadamia is
Queensland Macadamia grows as a perennial. It blooms in spring.
How to grow Queensland Macadamia
Queensland Macadamia grows in USDA zones 9 through 11. Queensland Macadamia does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 8, on well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 180 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
9-11
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4.5 - 8
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Kill Temperature
30.2°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
FAO ECOCROP
Minimum Growing Temperature
46.4°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
FAO ECOCROP
Frost-Free Days
180+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant queensland macadamia in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Queensland Macadamia prefers pH 4.5 to 8 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Keep it in good form
Prune queensland macadamia to shape as it grows; the reward is its foliage and structure, not a harvest, so steady upkeep is the whole job.
Where Queensland Macadamia thrives
Queensland Macadamia is hardy across USDA zones 9 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 9–11 spans average winter lows from 20°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 17 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 9–11·Where Queensland Macadamia growsOpen map →
Where Queensland Macadamia stands, state by state
Queensland Macadamia is rated for zones 9–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 20 to 30°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 17 more, and 34 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
17 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Nevada · zones 4a-10a
3 of 17 shown
Queensland Macadamia’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Queensland Macadamia
Growing guides for queensland macadamia
In rotation planning, queensland macadamia counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in tree
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — queensland macadamia is toxic to dogs (moderate severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Queensland Macadamia offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Queensland Macadamia's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Queensland Macadamia will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether queensland macadamia actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Queensland Macadamia
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Queensland Macadamia in my zone?
Queensland Macadamia grows in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Queensland Macadamia?
Most growers plant queensland macadamia after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 180-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Queensland Macadamia need?
Queensland Macadamia needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Queensland Macadamia need?
Queensland Macadamia prefers soil pH 4.5 to 8, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Queensland Macadamia attract pollinators?
Yes — queensland macadamia's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees.
Is Queensland Macadamia safe for pets?
Queensland Macadamia is toxic to pets (dogs) with moderate severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)