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Casuarina cunninghamiana - Miq.

Common Name River She-Oak
Family Casuarinaceae
USDA hardiness 8-11
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Usually found by freshwater streams[156, 167] in alluvial sands and loams[167]. It experiences severe frosts in some parts of its range[167].
Range Australia - New South Wales, Northern Territories, Victoria.
Edibility Rating    (0 of 5)
Other Uses    (5 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Half Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun
Casuarina cunninghamiana River She-Oak


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Rickjpelleg
Casuarina cunninghamiana River She-Oak
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Casuarina_cunninghamiana_tree.jpg

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of cone
Casuarina cunninghamiana is an evergreen Tree growing to 18 m (59ft 1in).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from September to December. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). . The plant is not self-fertile.
It can fix Nitrogen.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Plant Habitats

Woodland Garden Canopy; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Edible Uses

None known

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Dye  Shelterbelt  Soil reclamation  Soil stabilization  Tannin  Wood

Gold, green and grey dyes are obtained from the leaves[156]. The bark can be used as tanbark[269]. The plant forms suckers and is a good soil stabilizer[156]. It is much planted in Egypt for protecting roads from the sand[269]. It is often planted along the sides of streams to protect them from erosion[269]. In suitable climates, the plant is much used in windbreaks, shelterbelts and for land reclamation[269]. 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[156, 269].

Special Uses

Food Forest  Nitrogen Fixer

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained moisture-retentive soil in full sun[200]. Succeeds in most soils, whether well-drained or damp, in Australian gardens[157, 167]. The plant is reported to tolerate acid soils, alkaline soils, calcareous soils (perhaps chlorotic), drought, muck, sand dunes, salt, weeds, and wind[269]. Plants tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 50 to 150cm[269]. This plant tolerates temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[157] 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[167] 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[269]. Closely related to C. glauca and often hybridises in the wild with that species[265]. 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[157, 200]. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is suckering with new plants from underground runners away from the plant [2-1].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Fahrenheit:

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Plant Propagation

Seed - sow late winter to early summer in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed[138]. 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[269]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[157, 200].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

AUSTRALASIA: Australia, New South Wales (east), Queensland (east), Northern Territory (north),

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Allocasuarina littoralisBlack She Oak, Bull Oak, WayetuckTree8.0 9-11 FLMHNM104
Casuarina cristataBelahTree12.0 8-11 FLMHNDM003
Casuarina equisetifoliaShe Oak, Common Ru, Australian Pine, Horsetail CasuarinaTree30.0 9-12 FLMHSNDM125
Casuarina glaucaSwamp Oak, Gray sheoakTree18.0 8-11  LMNDM103
Casuarina littoralisShe Oak, Black she-oakTree8.0 8-11  LMHNDM003
Casuarina oligodonShe-oak, kiluTree25.0 10-12 MLMHNM004
Casuarina torulosaForest OakTree15.0 8-11  LMHNDM003
Casuarina verticillataDrooping she-oakTree10.0 8-11  LMHNDM003

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

Miq.

Botanical References

200265

Links / References

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