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Casuarina cristata - Miq.

Common Name Belah
Family Casuarinaceae
USDA hardiness 8-11
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Drier areas[157], usually on heavier soils and avoiding ridges[156].
Range Australia - New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia.
Edibility Rating    (0 of 5)
Other Uses    (3 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Half Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun
Casuarina cristata Belah


R.A. Howard @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Casuarina cristata Belah
R.A. Howard @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of cone
Casuarina cristata is an evergreen Tree growing to 12 m (39ft 4in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. It is in leaf all year. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant).
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

C. lepidophylla.

Plant Habitats

Woodland Garden Canopy; Secondary; 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

Fuel  Tannin  Wood

The bark is rich in tannin[229]. Wood - very hard, not durable, takes a good polish. Mainly used for furniture and fencing, it is also a good fuel[156, 229].

Special Uses

Food Forest

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained moisture-retentive soil in full sun[200]. A report for Australian gardens says that it prefers growing in dry areas but also thrives in very wet soils[157]. Fast growing[157]. 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 might succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country[200]. The plant produces suckers from the roots and often forms dense groves[229]. Unlike most members of this genus, this plant does not fix atmospheric nitrogen[200]. 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

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

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. 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, Queensland (southeast))

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 cunninghamianaRiver She-OakTree18.0 8-11  LMHNDM005
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

200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

   Mon Mar 11 07:13:33 2002

The Casuarina cristata is found in central Australian, it is important to this environment because it stops fires. The reason for this is beacuse of its low litter accumulation. Therefore it is important not a noxious weed.

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