Casuarina
Casuarina spp.
A tough, wind-shrugging pioneer that fixes its own nitrogen and thrives on poor coastal soils. Handy for shelterbelts and fast wood, but it's a known invasive that can smother the understory if left unmanaged.
Tolerances & traits
- Strata
- Emergent
- Lifecycle
- Secondary
- Soil preference
- Sandy, Rocky
- Soil pH range
- 5 – 9
- Min. temperature
- -5°C
- Min. rainfall
- 450 mm/year
- Wind tolerance
- High
- Frost tolerance
- Medium
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Irrigation needed
- Low
How to manage it
Fixes nitrogen via Frankia actinomycete nodules, not rhizobia. Coppices and pollards well; keep it cut back regularly to stop suckering and to speed up its slow-rotting needle litter.
Watch out for
Classed as invasive on coasts and islands worldwide (CABI/GISD) - it forms dense monocultures and its acidic, slow-decomposing needle mat suppresses understory plants. Suckers hard if stressed or neglected; use with control, not as a free-ranging pioneer.
Design your line to see how your land fits Casuarina.
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