Casuarina cunninghamiana
| Casuarina cunninghamiana | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen Cross Pollinated | |
| Height: | 59' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Early Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Casuarina cunninghamiana (common name: river she-oak)
Propagation: 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[2].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[3][4].
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained moisture-retentive soil in full sun[4]. Succeeds in most soils, whether well-drained or damp, in Australian gardens[3][5]. The plant is reported to tolerate acid soils, alkaline soils, calcareous soils (perhaps chlorotic), drought, muck, sand dunes, salt, weeds, and wind[2]. Plants tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 50 to 150cm[2].
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[5] 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[2].
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][4].
Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Range: Australia - New South Wales, Northern Territories, Victoria.
Habitat: Usually found by freshwater streams[7][5] in alluvial sands and loams[5]. It experiences severe frosts in some parts of its range[5].
Usage: Gold, green and grey dyes are obtained from the leaves[7].
The bark can be used as tanbark[2].
The plant forms suckers and is a good soil stabilizer[7]. It is much planted in Egypt for protecting roads from the sand[2]. It is often planted along the sides of streams to protect them from erosion[2].
In suitable climates, the plant is much used in windbreaks, shelterbelts and for land reclamation[2].
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[7][2].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Early Winter
Flower Type: Dioecious
Links
References
- ↑ Bird, R. Growing from Seed Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan, 1989.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Duke, James. Handbook of Energy Crops. 1983.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Wrigley, John and Murray Fagg. Australian Native Plants. Collins, 1988.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Holliday, Ivan and Ron Hill. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller, 1974.
- ↑ Carolin, R. Flora of the Sydney Region. Reed, 1993.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Cribb, Alan. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. William Collins, 1981.