The Tropical Fruit Forum
Tropical Fruit => Tropical Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: Mike T on November 04, 2015, 04:28:40 AM
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http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/AusNative/AthertonNut110-1-99.htm (http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/AusNative/AthertonNut110-1-99.htm)
Today I acquired some atherton oak nuts which are related to macadamias but are a bit sweeter and have a little less oil but taste similar.They are subtropical growing above 2500ft at 18 latitude and were once touted as a rival for macadamia.This species is restricted in distribution and it has showy aromatic flowers and ripe fruit containing the nuts are brilliant blue.
(http://s28.postimg.cc/qxt9emkqh/2015_11_04_19_20_06.jpg) (http://postimg.cc/image/qxt9emkqh/)
The coin is an Australian $2.
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Looks like a winner, surprised it's the first time I've heard of it .
Anyone up your way selling cuttings ?
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I don't think anyone sells cuttings and plants are hard to get.They should be everywhere as they are more suited to the climate in Sydney and Brisbane rather than Cairns.
They don't get that big in full sun and are striking in appearance.
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Mine are 2 ft tall in the old language and the stem is a pencil thick, they came through a perth winter no problems. The juvenile foliage varies greatly depending on light levels. In my experience they don't like foliar feeding when young. The adult foliage is tougher apparently.
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http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/AusNative/AthertonNut110-1-99.htm (http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/AusNative/AthertonNut110-1-99.htm)
Today I acquired some atherton oak nuts which are related to macadamias but are a bit sweeter and have a little less oil but taste similar.They are subtropical growing above 2500ft at 18 latitude and were once touted as a rival for macadamia.This species is restricted in distribution and it has showy aromatic flowers and ripe fruit containing the nuts are brilliant blue.
(http://s28.postimg.cc/qxt9emkqh/2015_11_04_19_20_06.jpg) (http://postimg.cc/image/qxt9emkqh/)
The coin is an Australian $2.
The linked article says that the nuts are easily cracked with a "suitable device." I would say the same for macadamia, if you have the right device, but the nuts are really not easily cracked in general. Is this the same with this nut? Is the nut color similar to macadamia? Also, since it has less oil, how does it compare in time to dry/dehydrate the nut meat to its prime eating quality......assuming, of course, that again, this is similar to macadamia?
The exterior is very cool looking. Would love to see some interior photos. Thanks in advance.
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Mine are 2 ft tall in the old language and the stem is a pencil thick, they came through a perth winter no problems. The juvenile foliage varies greatly depending on light levels. In my experience they don't like foliar feeding when young. The adult foliage is tougher apparently.
How long did it take to get at that height ?
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cool blue nuts
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http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/AusNative/AthertonNut110-1-99.htm (http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/AusNative/AthertonNut110-1-99.htm)
Today I acquired some atherton oak nuts which are related to macadamias but are a bit sweeter and have a little less oil but taste similar.They are subtropical growing above 2500ft at 18 latitude and were once touted as a rival for macadamia.This species is restricted in distribution and it has showy aromatic flowers and ripe fruit containing the nuts are brilliant blue.
(http://s28.postimg.cc/qxt9emkqh/2015_11_04_19_20_06.jpg) (http://postimg.cc/image/qxt9emkqh/)
The coin is an Australian $2.
The linked article says that the nuts are easily cracked with a "suitable device." I would say the same for macadamia, if you have the right device, but the nuts are really not easily cracked in general. Is this the same with this nut? Is the nut color similar to macadamia? Also, since it has less oil, how does it compare in time to dry/dehydrate the nut meat to its prime eating quality......assuming, of course, that again, this is similar to macadamia?
The exterior is very cool looking. Would love to see some interior photos. Thanks in advance.
The nuts are not easily cracked no, about the same as macadamia.
The nuts themselves are quite good, and have a somewhat coconut-ish taste. Tree is absolutely beautiful.
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Maybe they are a fraction easier to crack than macadamias due to their lenticular shape. In cultivation they take 5 to 10 years to fruit and handle frost well as their native habitat frequently goes below freezing. Their tolerances are likely to be similar to macadamias but they are a little more cool climate loving and less drought tolerant.
Most of the details about how best to dry and roast them is unpublished and there is little useful information around for people wanting to grow the trees or harvest the nuts.
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I have some Atherton oak trees planted and they seem to do well at my 600 ft. elevation orchard. Problem is i left them in the pots way too long and they self rooted into the ground. So not in a good place. i should move them to another location. But now the root system must be so big i would need a back hoe to dig them out. ::) :'(
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Any seeds available from this beauty of a tree? Thanks, Chris
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They hate summer here. Need shade when it gets over 35 and dry. Mine were 3 foot tall and 4 died. Will try again. Not hard to get. My local native nursery sells tune stock and go green has advanced ones. Gotta get some more of these, Eleocarpus bancroftii, and Hicksbeachia pillosa and pinnitifolia in the next few weeks. All good nuts.
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Did yours still have the juvenile foliage?
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They hate summer here. Need shade when it gets over 35 and dry. Mine were 3 foot tall and 4 died. Will try again. Not hard to get. My local native nursery sells tune stock and go green has advanced ones. Gotta get some more of these, Eleocarpus bancroftii, and Hicksbeachia pillosa and pinnitifolia in the next few weeks. All good nuts.
Bruce ,
Tried any of the nuts from these natives ?
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They hate summer here. Need shade when it gets over 35 and dry. Mine were 3 foot tall and 4 died. Will try again. Not hard to get. My local native nursery sells tune stock and go green has advanced ones. Gotta get some more of these, Eleocarpus bancroftii, and and pinnitifolia in the next few weeks. All good nuts.
Bruce ,
Tried any of the nuts from these natives ?
Carl, I have a few athertonia seeds I can send your way if you want them.
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Sternus,
Thats ok, thanks for the consideration.
But it's a good excuse to drive up the coast next weekend.
Anything to get away sometimes.
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(http://s7.postimg.cc/528rxgyzb/20151107_152114.jpg) (http://postimg.cc/image/528rxgyzb/)
This is one of my athertonia in full shade the leaves are quite large.
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(http://s23.postimg.cc/6r78y5elj/20151107_172925.jpg) (http://postimg.cc/image/6r78y5elj/)
This is the same age plant in dappled sun the leaves are a lot smaller.
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Today I got some fruit that are just starting to lose colour.Fresh ones are bright blue.
(http://s24.postimg.cc/89o4bbxxd/20151224_131626.jpg) (http://postimg.cc/image/89o4bbxxd/)
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Id love that many. Id like grind them and then try conching them like chocolate.
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They were planted on a farm near Millaa Millaa about 15 years ago or more along with a range of other edibles like davidson plums and acronychias.Selections of the best wild ones that could be found at the time by botanist friends kicked it off.I don't think they are used as bush tucker or commercially like what the original intent was.
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Are they the ones kris kupsch has in burringbarr?
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No but the sources overlap if what my friend Jonathan told me is true.Kris seems to be more recent and systematic with most of the different forms rather than looking for the best type for production or eating.
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Ah, that makes sense. Its his odd jerseyana I posted the picture of. He seems to have alot of varietal collections.
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Are the seeds of that jerseyana viable and is it a wild collected specimen? It looks pretty divergent and I wonder if it could be a cross or intraspecific mix between forms.
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Its the first time it fruited apparently but im guessing he will plant the seeds though given the fruit and seed size im doubtful their fertile. I have only met kris a couple of times so don't know him really well. I did wonder if it was a jerseyana / johnsonii hybrid as the mother was a jerseyana and they do overlap. Apparently it was one of 100 seeds planted back in 1999. The parent trees were wild but im not sure if they were all from the same tree/provenance. Kris would probably have a fair idea though.
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Jerseyana is the southern one and JohnstonI only overlaps with prurians, being in the Russell Mulgrave catchment.I don't think JohnstonI has ever fruited in cultivation. I have communicated with Kris a couple of times and swapped a few seeds.
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In that case im not sure, he definitely said it was jerseyana seed. Maybe its a spontaneous mutant. My johnsonii from daleys is fruiting little fruit.
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Mike, thanks for posting about this tree, I wonder why it has not become more popular in the world of growing edible's! 8)
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Athertonia has a very small natural distribution in remote areas.Australian fruits only get cultivated if they are near big cities like finger lime or if yanks get involved like macadamias.
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Too true, whilst many are overrated for quality and taste, some wouldnt need much in the way of selective breeding to be brought to a standard. Sadly I think many will be either developed overseas or not at all. Have a look at how many patents the US holds over australian native plants.