Candle Nut – Aleurites mollucana

Plant family: Euphorbiaceae

Plant origin: Candle nut is native to Queensland and Northern Territory, and also to South East Asia.

Fruit description: The Candle Nut occurs in clusters in Summer. Each shell is 50 mm diameter brown and round, inside is the nut which must be cooked to make it edible. The flavour is very oily and slightly bitter.

Flowers: Candle Nut trees have large clusters of tiny white or lilac flowers in Spring.

Growing conditions: The Candle nut tree is fast growing and hardy; it can grow to 10 metres tall. It is very ornamental, having a wide crown of very large lobed silvery green leaves, which also provide good shade. It likes a warm well-drained position in full sun. It prefers a tropical or warm coastal climate. It can be grown in a pot.

Uses: Don't eat the nuts raw as they are slightly toxic! Cooked candle nuts are used in Asian cooking, especially Malaysian and Indonesian cooking where they are added as a paste. They thicken curries, stirfries and casseroles and are oily and nutritious. The roasted nuts also help to tenderise meat. The oil can be burned for a smoky light. The oil is used for waterproofing clothing and preserving fishing nets. The timber is used to make canoes in Polynesia.

Medicinal uses: The oil, bark and leaves are used in traditional medicine in many cultures, especially Polynesia.

Pollination requirements: Self-Pollinating.

Harvest time

Plant relatives

Special features: Candle Nuts got their name because Polynesian people traditionally threaded the nuts onto a palm leaf spine and burned the nuts or the oil for light.

Grown by method: Seed Grown Pot size:

Plant growing Height and Width for pots or in the ground planting: Grows 10 metres high by 6 metres wide if Planted in the Ground.

Shipping plant pot or planter bag size: