Casuarina glauca
Swamp Oak

Uses

Toxic parts

There is a report that the pollen might be allergenic^[1].

Edible uses

Notes

The needles are chewed to relieve thirst^[2]. We assume that this means the leaves[K].

Leaves

Unknown use

Material uses

The plant suckers freely and forms a good windbreak^[3]. It has been used to reclaim land, especially eroded mountainsides, and to provide shelterbelts^[1]. The plant can spread very freely by means of suckers and has become a noxious weed in some areas - its planting is banned in some parts of Florida^[1]. Ditches are sometimes dug on either side of the shelterbelt planting in order to control its spread^[1]. Wood - tough. Used for axe handles etc, it is said to be better than hickory (Carya spp) for this purpose^[4]. The brownish timber is nicely marked and is used for fencing rails, shingles, salt water pilings, poles, charcoal and fuel^[1]. Casuarina spp. have very dense wood, with a specific gravity of 0.8 - 1.2, and a calorific value of ca 5,000 kcal/kg^[1]. The wood splits easily, and burns slowly with little smoke or ash^[1]. It also can be burned when green, an important advantage in fuel short areas^[1]. From their fourth year, trees shed about 4 tons cones/year. These, too, make good pellet-sized fuel (NAS, 1983e)^[1].

Unknown part

Wood

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

There are no medicinal uses listed for Casuarina glauca.

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Canopy or Secondary canopy

Ecological Functions

Windbreak

Nitrogen fixer

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter to early summer in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed^[5]. 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 between 700,000 - 970,000 seeds per kilo^[1]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame^[6]^[7].

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Casuarina glauca. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.

Cultivation

Requires a well-drained moisture-retentive soil in full sun^[7]. Succeeds in most soils in Australian gardens, including saline ones, and is tolerant of salt spray^[6]^[3]^[1]. Plants are reported to tolerate high pH, limestone soils, low pH, salt and sand dunes, water-logging, weeds, and wind^[1]. Reported to tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 50 to 400cm, estimated annual temperature range of 18 to 28°C, and a pH of 5 to 8^[1]. Plants have grown in Israel under a soil crust of salt (50,000 ppm)^[1].

Rarely tolerates temperatures lower than -3°C^[1]. Tolerates temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens^[6], and plants are said to tolerate frost in South Africa^[1], although this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer, colder and wetter winters. It might succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country. Spreading by means of root suckers, this species has become a pest in some parts of Florida^[1]. Closely related to C. cunninghamiana, though somewhat less hardy^[1], it often hybridises in the wild with that species^[8]. In fine-textured clays, even in waterlogged soils, C. glauca can develop a deep root system, while C. cunninghamiana and C. equisetifolia develop shallow roots and grow poorly^[1].

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^[6]. Although Nitrogen nodulation is most successful at pH 6 to 8, some natural stands are well nodulated in acid soils (pH ca 4)^[1].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Casuarina glauca. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Casuarina glauca.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

References

? ^1.00^1.01^1.02^1.03^1.04^1.05^1.06^1.07^1.08^1.09^1.10^1.11^1.12^1.13^1.14^1.15^1.16^1.17^1.18^1.19^1.20 Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - (1983-00-00)
? ^2.0^2.1 Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)
? ^3.0^3.1^3.2 Holliday. I. and Hill. R. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller Ltd. ISBN 0-85179-627-3 (1974-00-00)
? ^4.0^4.1 Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney ISBN 0-00-216441-8 (1981-00-00)
? Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. (1989-00-00)
? ^6.0^6.1^6.2^6.3 Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) ISBN 0-7322-0021-0 (1988-00-00)
? ^7.0^7.1^7.2 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
? ^8.0^8.1 Carolin. R. & Tindale. M. Flora of the Sydney Region Reed. Australia. ISBN 0730104001 (1993-00-00)

"image:Starr_040120-0213_Casuarina_glauca.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

[PFAFimport-269-1] ? ^1.00^1.01^1.02^1.03^1.04^1.05^1.06^1.07^1.08^1.09^1.10^1.11^1.12^1.13^1.14^1.15^1.16^1.17^1.18^1.19^1.20 Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - (1983-00-00)

[PFAFimport-177-2] ? ^2.0^2.1 Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)

[PFAFimport-167-3] ? ^3.0^3.1^3.2 Holliday. I. and Hill. R. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller Ltd. ISBN 0-85179-627-3 (1974-00-00)

[PFAFimport-156-4] ? ^4.0^4.1 Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney ISBN 0-00-216441-8 (1981-00-00)

[PFAFimport-138-5] ? Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. (1989-00-00)

[PFAFimport-157-6] ? ^6.0^6.1^6.2^6.3 Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) ISBN 0-7322-0021-0 (1988-00-00)

[PFAFimport-200-7] ? ^7.0^7.1^7.2 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-265-8] ? ^8.0^8.1 Carolin. R. & Tindale. M. Flora of the Sydney Region Reed. Australia. ISBN 0730104001 (1993-00-00)

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Article is incomplete	Yes +
Article requires citations	No +
Article requires cleanup	Yes +
Belongs to family	Casuarinaceae +
Belongs to genus	Casuarina +
Functions as	Windbreak + and Nitrogen fixer +
Has common name	Swamp Oak +
Has drought tolerance	Intolerant +
Has edible part	Leaves +
Has edible use	Unknown use +
Has environmental tolerance	High wind + and Salinity +
Has flowers of type	Monoecious +
Has hardiness zone	9 +
Has image	Starr 040120-0213 Casuarina glauca.jpg +
Has lifecycle type	Perennial +
Has material part	Unknown part +
Has material use	Wood +
Has mature height	18 +
Has primary image	Starr_040120-0213_Casuarina_glauca.jpg +
Has salinity tolerance	Tolerant +
Has search name	casuarina glauca + and x +
Has shade tolerance	No shade +
Has soil ph preference	Acid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil teclayture preference	Clay +
Has soil teloamyture preference	Loamy +
Has soil tesandyture preference	Sandy +
Has soil water retention preference	Well drained +
Has sun preference	Full sun +
Has taxonomy name	Casuarina glauca +
Has water requirements	moderate +
Inhabits ecosystem niche	Canopy + and Secondary canopy +
Is deciduous or evergreen	Evergreen +
Is herbaceous or woody	Woody +
Is taxonomy type	Species +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soil	No +
Tolerates wind	Yes +
Uses mature size measurement unit	Meters +