This slender graceful large tree has a solitary or multiple trunks with deep furrowed bark and drooping branches that form a conical habit. It has dense pendant dark-greyish green foliage and produces reddish male catkins from autumn to winter.

Hardiness zones 8 to 11

Allocasuarina torulosa is naturally found in Australia growing on the east coast and the adjoining tablelands from Nowra in New South Wales to far north Queensland as an understorey plant in open forests or along stony ridges and on sandy heath.

It grows in a wide range well drained sandy moist to rocky clay loams and tolerates inundation. It prefers an open sunny position and is drought,frost and salt spray tolerant.

The Forest Oak is grown for its columnar habit and its colourful foliage. It is planted in parks and large gardens as a lawn specimen or along borders for colour contrast and as a wind break. It establishes in 3 to 5 years and is long lived. It is also used as a street tree or planted in a woodland setting and is self-mulching and adds a soft texture to the garden. ID 591

Allocasuarina (al-low-kazh-yoo-ar-EYE-nuh) torulosa (toor-U-low-sâ)

From Latin allo- another &casuarina- Linnaean name: cassowary-like (refers to the drooping branches of some spp. which supposedly resemble the plumage of a cassowary); 'torulosa`: swollen.

Casuarinaceae(KAS-ew-rin-AY-see-ee)