They say the best time to plant a tree is ten years ago. The second-best time, in our case, is five years ago. We’re happy to see flowers on the macadamia for the first time; here’s hoping that they pollinate successfully. We do have a lot of bees in the yard, so there’s reason to be optimistic.

The macadamia is native to rainforests in south east Queensland and northern New South Wales, Australia. (It is not native to Hawaii, as many people think.) Our variety (Cate) was developed here in Malibu, and suits a more Mediterranean climate.