Brisbane tree guide

Bunya pine

Araucaria bidwillii · also called Bunya, Bunya bunya

The bunya pine is a huge native conifer from South East Queensland, known for its dome-shaped crown and football-sized cones packed with edible nuts. It grows 30 to 45 metres tall and can live for centuries. For generations, bumper bunya crops brought Aboriginal groups together for great feasts in the Bunya Mountains and the Blackall Range. Its heavy falling cones make it a tree for big parks, not backyards.

Native to South East Queensland
30 to 45 m tall

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Bunya pine, from Wikimedia Commons — Photo: Bidgee, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bunya pine at a glance

Height: 30 to 45 m (up to 50 m in the wild)
Leaves: Evergreen
Flowers: Small and easy to miss
Origin: South East Queensland, mainly from Nambour to Gympie and west to the Bunya Mountains, with small stands in north Queensland
Family: Araucariaceae

How to identify a bunya pine

From a distance, look for a tall, straight trunk with rough bark and a symmetrical, dome-shaped crown that often stands above the surrounding trees. The leaves are stiff, glossy and dark green, 1 to 5 cm long, broad at the base and tapering to a sharp point. Female cones are enormous, roughly football-sized, and sit at the ends of short side branches until they drop. Narrow male cones, about 6 to 20 cm long, appear in autumn. Its Australian relatives are the hoop pine and the Norfolk Island pine.

Growing a bunya pine in Brisbane

Bunyas grow wild in the ranges north of Brisbane, chiefly in the Nambour to Gympie area and out to the Bunya Mountains, and they are a familiar sight in the city's parks. Walter Hill planted the riverside bunyas in the City Botanic Gardens between 1858 and 1867, and others tower over Roma Street Parkland. Bunyas cope with most soils but fail where the ground stays waterlogged. Because of the cones, plant one only where there is a large clear area beneath it.

What to watch out for

Falling cones are the big risk. Female cones can weigh up to about 10 kg and drop from high in the crown, mostly in summer and early autumn, and even the smaller male cones can hurt someone. Flora of Australia notes that many park and avenue bunyas have been removed for this reason. Keep play areas, seating, driveways and parked cars out from under the canopy while cones are present. The sharp leaves are also prickly underfoot.

Falling cones. Cones weighing up to about 10 kg drop from high in the crown, mostly in summer and early autumn, and many park and avenue bunyas have been removed because of them.
Spines. The stiff leaves end in sharp points, and fallen leaves are prickly underfoot.
Size. It grows 30 to 45 metres tall with a broad, dome-shaped crown, far too big for most suburban blocks.

Pruning and care

A planted-out bunya needs space more than care. Young trees make attractive pot plants for a few years, but once in the ground they should go where they can stay. Avoid soil that stays waterlogged. Pruning is rarely needed beyond removing dead or damaged branches. While cones are forming, keep an exclusion zone around the trunk until they have fallen. Removing cones or limbs from a tall bunya is a job for a qualified arborist with climbing gear.

Bunya pine: your questions

Short answers, from the sources below.

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When do bunya pine cones fall?

The big female cones usually mature and drop in summer and early autumn. Heavy crops come only every few years, often three to four years apart.

How heavy is a bunya pine cone?

A female cone is roughly as big as a football and can weigh up to about 10 kg, which is why it is dangerous to stand under a bunya when cones are present.

Can you eat bunya nuts?

Yes. Each cone holds 50 to 100 large nuts that can be eaten raw or cooked, and they were a prized food for Aboriginal people across southern Queensland and the north of New South Wales.

How tall does a bunya pine grow?

A bunya pine usually grows 30 to 45 metres tall, and Flora of Australia records trees up to 50 metres.

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Sources and credits

Photo: Bidgee, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Checked October 2026. Weed listings and council rules change: check the council's and the Queensland Government's pages before you act.