Drooping she-oak
Casuarina verticillata

Family: Casuarinaceae

What it is like

Casuarina verticillata is an evergreen Tree growing to 10 m (32ft 10in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. It is in leaf all year. 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, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Height (m): 10

Where it is found

Calcareous sands by the coast, inland on poor rocky soils and on sand overlying clay.

Australia - New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 3

Wood - tough.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

Requires a well-drained moisture-retentive soil in full sun. Often found in poor dry soils in the wild. Succeeds in most soils and aspects in Australian gardens. Tolerates salt spray and maritime exposure. Tolerates temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens although this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer, colder and wetter winters. It should succeed outdoors in the mildest maritime areas of this country. 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. 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 .

Propagating it: Seed - sow late winter to early summer in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. 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.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy; Secondary; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 8-11

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

C. stricta. Ait. Allocasuarina verticillata.