Casuarina cunninghamiana
River She-Oak
a perennial woody evergreen member of the Casuarina genus in the family Casuarinaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Casuarinaceae
- Genus
- Casuarina
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Foliage
- evergreen
- Woodiness
- woody
- Height
- 18 m
- Fertility
- self sterile
- Flower type
- dioecious
Uses
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Gold, green and grey dyes are obtained from the leaves[2]. The bark can be used as tanbark[7]. The plant forms suckers and is a good soil stabilizer[2]. It is much planted in Egypt for protecting roads from the sand[7]. It is often planted along the sides of streams to protect them from erosion[7]. In suitable climates, the plant is much used in windbreaks, shelterbelts and for land reclamation[7]. Wood - dark, durable, closely grained, nicely marked, not as heavy as that of other members of this genus. Used for flooring, axe handles, firewood, poles etc[2][7].
- Product or use
- Dye
- Product or use
- Tannin
- Product or use
- Wood
Ecology and functions
- Ecosystem niche
- Canopy
Environment
- Range
- Australia - New South Wales, Northern Territories, Victoria.
- Habitat
- Usually found by freshwater streams[2][4] in alluvial sands and loams[4]. It experiences severe frosts in some parts of its range[4].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 9+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow late winter to early summer in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. There are 440,000 - 550,000 seeds per kilo[7]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[3][5].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Requires a well-drained moisture-retentive soil in full sun[5]. Succeeds in most soils, whether well-drained or damp, in Australian gardens[3][4]. The plant is reported to tolerate acid soils, alkaline soils, calcareous soils (perhaps chlorotic), drought, muck, sand dunes, salt, weeds, and wind[7]. Plants tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 50 to 150cm[7]. This plant tolerates temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[3] although this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer, colder wetter winters. It experiences severe frosts in parts of its range[4] and so some provenances should succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of this country. Plants have survived temperatures of -8°C with no apparent injury. They are said to tolerate up to 50 light frosts per year[7]. Closely related to C. glauca and often hybridises in the wild with that species[6]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil micro-organisms, these form nodules on the roots of the plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[3][5]. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
References
Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00
Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-00-216441-8
Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988-00-00 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0
Holliday. I. and Hill. R. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller Ltd. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-85179-627-3
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Carolin. R. & Tindale. M. Flora of the Sydney Region Reed. Australia. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0730104001
Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983-00-00