Bunya pine

Araucaria bidwillii

Its football-sized cones drop big starchy nuts every few years, once the heart of great gatherings. Don't plant it over paths or cars.

Type: canopy tree · nut trees
Hardiness: zones 9 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 100 ft tall, 30 ft wide
Harvest: July to September
From: SE Queensland
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.

Good for: food, wildlife.

Native to: Australia. Hardy in zones 9 to 11.

The story

Bunya pine cones fed great gatherings of Aboriginal nations in southeast Queensland every three years, when the Wakka Wakka and neighbours travelled hundreds of miles to feast, trade and settle disputes under the trees; settlers banned the gatherings in the 1870s. The nuts taste of chestnut.

Planting

Full sun, deep drained soil, a mild climate, and a great deal of space: 100 feet tall, with cones the size of footballs that fall from the top. Plant away from paths and roofs.

Growing

Water young trees; then nothing. No pruning. It takes 15 years or more to cone.

Harvest and use

Cones fall in late summer; wait in a safe place, then split and boil or roast the big nuts. Keep clear of the tree in cone season.

What to watch for

Falling cones (seriously) and slow growth.

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General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home