It has long, pendant white to creamy pink to purple flowers, followed by woody, rounded fruits which are 2 to 3 cm (3⁄4 to 1+1⁄4 in) in diameter and contain edible seeds.

The first commercial plantation of macadamia trees were planted in the early 1880s by Charles Staff at Rous Mill, 12 km southeast of Lismore, New South Wales, consisting of M. tetraphylla.

Ironically, even as the macadamia has spread worldwide in commercial agriculture, it is now listed as a vulnerable species in its native Australia due to habitat loss and degradation.

The loss and impoverishment of its habitat has resulted from clearance of lowland rainforest for agriculture and urban development; invasive weeds; and poorly-designed fire management systems.

In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the following "qualified" health claim for manufacturers of macadamia products to cite, acknowledging that it was not an "authorized" FDA health claim (normally backed by widespread scientific consensus):[7]Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces per day of macadamia nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol and not resulting in increased intake of saturated fat or calories may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.