Australia’s Wild Macadamias... a Rare Gene to Cope with Climate, Illnesses

Australia's wild macadamia trees, a vital genetic resource for the global $2 billion industry, are facing an existential threat. Despite being cultivated worldwide, these native Australian plants are highly endangered, with over 80% of their original habitat reduced to remnants. Conservationists warn that a single bushfire could wipe out some of the rarest species.

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We’d put them in a little hole in the concrete under the house and hit them with a hammer.

Ian McConachie, a lifelong advocate for the macadamia nut, highlights the unique value of these wild trees. "It is the world's finest nut," he stated, emphasizing its status as an Australian icon and the country's only native plant to achieve commercial food status. McConachie has dedicated decades to finding and documenting wild macadamias, recognizing their potential for developing climate- and disease-resilient crops.

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It is the world’s finest nut. It is an Australian icon and our only native plant that has become a commercial food.

The macadamia's native range is a small patch of subtropical rainforest in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales, an area highly sought after for development. "They like expensive real estate, which makes them incredibly endangered because we’ve got so little rainforest left," explained Denise Bond, executive director of Wild Macadamia Conservation. This limited habitat makes the trees particularly vulnerable to threats like land clearing and bushfires.

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So we simply don’t know what the potential of the wild macadamia tree is.

While commercial macadamia cultivation began in Hawaii in the 1920s and Australia in the 1960s, the trees are still considered horticulturally young. McConachie believes the wild species, particularly Macadamia jansenii, which is too bitter to eat but remarkably hardy, could be a key tool in adapting to climate change. Protecting these rare genetic resources is seen as crucial for the long-term sustainability and future innovation within the macadamia industry.

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Which is pretty much where everyone wants to live. They [the trees] like expensive real estate, which makes them incredibly endangered because we’ve got so little rainforest left.