CASUARINACEAE

She-oak Drooping Sheoak

 

4.0m - 7.0m (400-700cm) 

Stamens only in spikes up to 12cm long. Male flower spikes yellow-brown and red female flowers. 

Nuts 

Small much-branched tree 

Break O'Day; Brighton; Burnie; Central Highlands; Clarence; Derwent Valley; Devonport; Dorset; Flinders Island; Georgetown; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Glenorchy; Hobart; Huon Valley; Kentish; Kingborough; Latrobe; Launceston; Northern Midlands; Sorell; Southern Midlands; Tasman; West Coast; West Tamar 

Coastal Vegetation 

Forms close to pure stands along the margins of coastal cliffs and on dry, rocky, north-facing slopes, especially on dolerite.Also grows inland on dry rocky sites. Probably the most drought-resistant tree species in Tas. Only moderately tolerant of fire.Widespread and frequent especially in eastern Tasmania. 

Dry; Exposed; Moist; Rocky; Windy 

Hardy 

Fertile; Loam; Poor; Sandy; Well-drained 

Not prone to insect attack. Trees produce large root nodules that provide habitat for micro-organisms that 'fix' nitrogen. A long-lived species (50-100 years), moderately slow-growing.Plants are highly palatable to livestock and rabbits and usually require protection to establish.Good for medium level windbreaks, useful for erosion control due to its ability to shoot from the roots and the leaf litter stabilisesoil surface.Has potential for management under a coppice regime for firewood production. Provides food for seed-eating birds and is important for insect-eating birds. Koori (mainland) uses: Young shoots and cones were occasionally eaten, but the main importance of the sheoke was the use of its wood for making boomerangs and other implements.Resistant to Phytophthora cinnamomi. Not suitable below powerlines. 

Winged nuts in cones.cones prickly 

Standard 

5-10 years 

119 

Cover with 2mm of potting mix and firm gently. Gravel layer 2 grains.Seed loses viability quickly once released from cone. The seed should be stored at 3-5oC to maintain long term viability. Innoculate with local soil. 

10-45 days 

Yes 

 

 

Yes 

Root suckers can be transplanted during winter when the soil is moist. Difficult to strike from cuttings and strike rate very low. Can be grown from cuttings of semi-hard wood. Coppice shoots taken from cut stumps or damaged plants will strike readily.