Casuarina Tree

About Casuarina Tree:

• It is native to Australia and it was introduced in India around the 19th century.
• It is also known as kattadi and savukku.
• There are four cultivated species of casuarinas viz., Casuarina equisetifolia, Casuarina glauca, Casuarina cunninghamiana and Casuarina junghuhniana.
• The nitrogen fixing ability and adaptability to grow in a wide range of soil and climatic conditions including moisture and nutrient limited sites makes Casuarina a preferred choice for commercial and environmental planting programmes.
• Distribution: Casuarinas are widely planted in the tropics, subtropics and Mediterranean countries because of their ready adaptability to a variety of environmental conditions and also for their rapid growth performance.
• Climate:The trees are suited to a wide range of temperature from 10°C-33°C, from sea level upto 1500m and mean annual rainfall between 700 and 2000 mm.
• Soil:The trees are best suited to light soils. This species tolerates calcareous and slightly saline soils, but it is grown poorly on heavy soils such as clays.
• Uses
  • Apart from fuel, the wood is extensively used for papermaking and of late is a preferred choice for biomass-based power generation.
  • The straight cylindrical stems find use in rural house building and as scaffolds in construction sites.
  • It is the principal species for developing shelterbelts in coastal areas and windbreaks for protecting agricultural crops.
  • It also plays a key role in reclaiming mined areas and afforesting nutrient-poor sites.