Macadamia is a noble tree that asks for time, shade and deep soil. It belongs to the Macadamia integrifolia family, native to humid forests, which is why it finds in the foothills of the Santiaguito volcano a natural setting where it can develop slowly and strongly. At Culpan we grow carefully selected varieties because they yield, in this microclimate, a nut with creamy texture and clean flavour. Macadamia covers around 32 percent of the farm and shares space with coffee in an agroforestry scheme that respects the protected forest, guarantees natural shade and keeps the diversity of the volcanic landscape alive.

A variety marker among the plants at the Culpan farm

Varieties for a unique volcanic soil

Culpan macadamia grows between 1,271 and 1,432 metres above sea level, in soil formed by centuries of volcanic ash from the Santiaguito. That loose soil, rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, drains well and lets roots develop strongly, a key condition for a crop that lives and produces for decades. Altitude moderates temperatures, the humidity of the area favours flowering, and the steady presence of mist reduces water stress on the tree.

That is why we choose Macadamia integrifolia varieties that respond well to altitude, constant humidity and the shade of the protected forest surrounding the farm. We work with materials recognised worldwide, such as the Beaumont, Hawaii 246, Hawaii 660 series and other selections known for their productive behaviour. We are not looking for the fastest-growing tree, but for the one that delivers stable nut quality, harvest after harvest, and that naturally adapts to the Culpan microclimate, where first production usually arrives between four and six years after planting.

Patient selection, generation after generation

Choosing varieties at Culpan is not a catalogue figure: it is the result of the family's patient observation over the years. We watch which trees best withstand the rainy season, which produce consistently, which resist the winds that descend from the mountain range and which deliver a nut with a firm shell and a good-sized kernel. Every tree in the crop is, in a way, a small living experiment that brings information for tomorrow's decisions.

The seeds for new plants are taken from those best trees. In this way, every variety we grow today has stood the test of time in our own soil, and every new tree inherits the best of the one before it. The genetic diversity of the crop also favours more effective pollination and reduces the risk posed by pests or climate change. It is the same patience that has defined Culpan for five generations, applied now to macadamia: a long view that understands the tree as part of an ecosystem and not just as a crop.

Discover the full cultivation

Learn how we care for every macadamia tree, from the nursery to the milling of the nut.