Casuarinaceae

Casuarina equisetifolia

Common Names: Coastal sheoak.

Plant Form: Tree. Size: Typically 6-12 m but can grow to 35 m tall. Stem: Smooth and greyish maturing to brownish and rough. Can be drooping low branching or straight depending on environment. Leaves: Minute scale like teeth in whorls. Function replaced by pale green needle like segmented narrow stems which are up to 30 cm long. Flowers: A tight grouping of red ribbony flowers giving pom-pom-like appearance. Fruit and Seeds: Cylindrical cones 1-3.5 cm long, dull brown or greyish and woody. Are often covered in fine white hairs when young. Habitat: Native to northern parts of Australia and SE Asia, but may be weedy elsewhere. Grows near beaches, swamps, forests, rocky headlands. Distinguishing Features: Very difficult to distinguish from other native Casuarinaceae and forms hybrids with Swamp sheoak (Casuarina glauca). Impacts: Note - this is a native plant.