Allocasuarina verticillata aka Drooping She Oak

Allocasuarina verticillata is an evergreen tree from southeastern Australia. It belongs to the Casuarinaceae family. Its common names include Australian beefwood, sheoke and coast she-oak. Tasmanian she-oak and he-oak are other names in use. Older sources call it Casuarina verticillata or Casuarina stricta. Its recorded range includes New South Wales, Victoria and southern South Australia. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The tree reaches about 33 feet [10 metres] in height. It keeps its foliage through the year. In the wild, it grows on lime-rich coastal sands. It also grows inland on poor, rocky ground. Some sites have a layer of sand over clay. These habitats show its ability to grow in poor soil. Its tough wood provides one recorded practical use.

Choose a sunny site with soil that drains well. The soil should also hold some moisture. This tree can grow in sand, loam or clay. It accepts mildly acid, neutral and mildly alkaline ground. It can also grow in salty soil. Dry or moist soil suits it, but shade does not. In Australian gardens, it grows in many soils and settings. It withstands salt spray and exposure near the sea. This makes it an option for coastal planting.

Plants have either male or female flowers, on separate trees. Both sexes must grow together to produce seed. Root nodules house microbes that take nitrogen from the air. The tree uses some of this nitrogen for growth. This trait gives it a role in woodland gardens. No edible or medicinal uses are recorded in the evidence. No hazards are known, though this does not prove safety.

Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 8–11 for this tree. Australian garden records report survival down to 19°F [−7°C]. That limit may not apply in cooler, wetter British winters. The mildest coastal parts of Britain offer the best prospects. Sow seed under glass from late winter to early summer. Cover it with only a thin layer of soil. Move seedlings into their own pots once large enough. Keep them under glass for at least their first winter. Plant out after the last expected frost has passed. Half-ripe cuttings offer another way to raise new plants.