Casuarina junghuhniana

Cultivation Details

A plant of fairly moist tropical areas, usually found at higher elevations above 1,500 metres and as high as 3,100 metres, though it can succeed almost at sea level^[1]. Rainfall in its natural habitat is monsoonal, with a well-defined summer maximum and a reported annual range of 700 - 1,500 mm^[1]. The mean maximum temperature of the hottest month ranges from 25 - 28°c, whilst the mean minimum temperature of the coldest month ranges from 19 - 22°c^[1]. Succeeds on a wide range of soils, from light volcanic and sandy soils to heavy clays^[1]. It is tolerant of a wide pH range, from 2.8 in acidic clays to 8.0 in limestone-derived soils^[1]. Established plants are drought-tolerant and can also survive prolonged periods of waterlogging^[1]. Plants growing in a plantation have shown tolerance of saline soil conditions^[1]. A fast growing species, seedlings can grow 3 metres per year for their first 2 - 3 years after planting out^[1]. Once trees reach a few metres in height they are fire resistant and resprout readily after being damaged by fire^[1]. Weeding is necessary only during the first few years, after which the trees shed large amounts of branchlets to form a thick and dense mat of litter that suppresses weeds^[1]. Trees respond well to coppicing and pollarding^[1]. They produce strong root suckers^[1]. Trees are poor self-pruners, manual pruning in plantations up to a height of 2 - 2.5 metres is often necessary to make the plantations more accessible for general maintenance^[1]. Plantation-grown trees can be harvested throughout the year. In Thailand, a harvesting cycle of 5 years is used for poles and fuel wood^[1]. A mean annual increment of 10 - 15 cubic metres per hectare is generally obtainable^[1]. The plant fixes atmospheric nitrogen by nodulation with actinomycete bacteria of the genus Frankia. The nodules are woody and perennial and can form large masses in the root system^[1].