Closely related to Cunninghamia glauca and often hybridises in the wild with that species[].

Common Name: River She-Oak

General Information

Casuarina cunninghamiana is a long-lived, relatively fast-growing, evergreen tree growing 12 - 35 metres tall with a bole that can be 30 - 150cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is often planted for its role in soil stabilization and reclamation; as an effective shelterbelt and also for its value as timber and fuel. It is also often grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Australia - New South Wales, Northern Territory, Victoria.

Habitat

Usually found by freshwater rivers and streams and the adjacent flatlands, only extending a short way up the valley slopes[, ], mainly in alluvial sands and loams; at elevations up to 1,000 metres, but usually below 500 metres[, ].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	18.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Casuarina cunninghamiana succeeds in warm temperate to tropical areas at elevations from sea level to 2,200 metres[]. Plants grow best in areas where the mean annual temperature is in the range 13 - 29°c and the mean annual precipitation in the range of 500 - 1,500mm[, ]. Heavy frosts can occur up to 50 times in a year in some parts of its range and mature plants can tolerate short periods with temperatures down to about -10°c, but young growth is badly damaged at -1°c[, ].
Requires a well-drained moisture-retentive soil in full sun[]. Succeeds in most soils, whether well-drained or damp, in Australian gardens[, ]. The plant is reported to tolerate acid soils, alkaline soils, muck, sand dunes, salt, weeds, and wind[]. Moderately tolerant of saline conditions[]. Becomes chlorotic on highly calcareous soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5[]. Moderately drought resistant, but unable to tolerate semi-arid conditions unless some additional groundwater is available to supplement rainfall[].
A fast-growing tree, with average height increments of 1 - 2 metres per year[].
When planted outside its natural habitat, it adapts itself to comparatively dry sites[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms must be grown if seed is required. Male flowers are produced in terminal spikes, fthe emale flowers in small, reddish cones[].
Plants display fairly good coppicing ability when young, and older trees are capable of producing root suckers[].
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[, ]. When introduced to exotic localities, inoculation of the seedlings with pure culture of effective strains of Frankia rhizobia is recommended to enable the species to fix atmospheric nitrogen[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant develops a network of fine subsurface roots, it forms suckers as it gets older and is a good soil stabilizer[, ]. It is much planted in Egypt for protecting roads from the sand and stabilizing dunes[, ]. It is often planted along the sides of streams to protect them from erosion[, ].
In suitable climates, the plant is much used in windbreaks, shelterbelts and for land reclamation[].
Extensively planted for wind protection and shelterbelts. In California, USA, it has proven particularly valuable for planting as windbreaks to protect high-value agricultural crops[].
The foliage produces an excellent mulch[].
The species provides valuable supplies of pollen for bees[].

Other Uses

Craft dyers in Australia have used the foliage to produce attractive colours in wool using different mordants[]. Gold, green and grey dyes can all be obtained[].

The bark can be used as tanbark[].

The heartwood is dark reddish or purplish-brown; the narrow band of sapwood is pale coloured[, ]. The wood is closely grained, hard and durable, but not as heavy as that of other members of this genus. A nicely marked wood, it is easy to split, but hard to season, saw, work and dress, though it takes a good polish[, , , , ]. The heartwood is extremely resistant to preservative treatment but is durable and may last for 15 - 25 years in the ground[]. It is used for flooring, axe handles, poles, ornamental turnery etc[, , ]. Particleboard is made from the wood[].
An excellent firewood species that burns well and retains ashes for a long time; it is suitable for firing baker’s ovens. In Egypt, gives a charcoal yield of 33.6% and an ash content of 1.9% with an estimated fuel value of 4,870 kcal/kg[].

Propagation

Seed - the optimum temperature for germination is 30°c[]. Propagation is usually from seed, since seed production is so prolific and germination occurs easily[]. If selected pure cultures of Frankia rhizobia are not available, it is advisable to inoculate seedlings with a suspension of crushed nodules collected from the host tree, preferably at the original collection site. This will improve seedling establishment and ensure rapid growth during the initial stages[]. There are 440,000 - 550,000 seeds per kilo[].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood in a frame[, ]. Treatment of terminal branchlets, heel cuttings or basal sprouts especially from juvenile plants with root-inducing hormone powder has proved successful[]. Cuttings should be maintained on a mist bench with bottom heat[].
Vegetative propagation by air layering has been attempted with limited success[].

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