Common Names: Cunningham Beefwood, River Oak, She Oak, Creek Oak
Family: Casuarinaceae
Native to: Eastern and northern Australia

Native Habitat: Tolerant of many conditions from warm temperate areas to dry forest zones and desert highlands

Notes: This medium evergreen sized tree grows to heights of 50 to 65 feet, with a spread of about 10 metres (33 ft) and a straight trunk. The leaves are green to bluish green in color. The small flowers are either reddish brown or red. Flowers form from April to June in Australia, and September through December in Tucson. The flowers then produce small, globular brown cones less than ½ an inch wide.

Trees are usually found in sunny locations along stream banks and swampy areas. It’s widely recognized as an important tree for stabilizing riverbanks and for soil erosion prevention accepting wet and dry soils. The foliage is quite palatable to stock. C. cunninghamiana is frost tolerant down to around −8°C (18°F) and is widely used effectively as a screening plant. It is useful on windy sites and is also suited to coastal areas. C. cunninghamiana has been introduced into several other countries for the purpose of agroforestry.