is used for shingles and fuel 
The drooping beefwood (Casuarina equisetifolia) has pendant branches. The wood Totally different in habit is the upright beefwood (C. stricta); it looKs like a 
pine tree 
A Fast-Growing Evergreen Tree for Arid Regions—By E. Braunton, si: 
THE ASTONISHING “ BEEFWOOD” OR “‘SHE OAK” 
WHICH THRIVES WITHOUT IRRIGATION IN THE 
DRIEST AND POOREST SOILS (EVEN IN ALKALI) AND HAS ATTAINED AN EXTREME HEIGHT OF 150 FEET 
PAL THOUGH not such fast growers as 
many representatives of the eucalypts, 
the beefwoods or she oaks (Casuarina) will 
stand more drought than any of the eucalypts 
and will stand the still more severe test of 
growing very near the sea. I have seen them 
thrive in the mist and spray of the ocean, yet 
have never known one failing to make a sat- 
isfactory season’s growth in the poorest and 
driest soil. They will grow even on brack- 
ish or alkaline soils. 
Wherever they have been planted in Cali- 
fornia or the Southern United States, these 
trees have proven a decided success, but as 
yet few people appreciate them. The chief 
difficulty in planting any species of beef- 
wood is that of getting staminate trees, for 
as yet no one has been able to distinguish 
the staminate from the pistillate tree while 
the plants are still young. The pistillate, 
or cone-bearing trees are nearly always 
weighted down with unsightly old cones of 
the previous year, so that the trees are any- 
thing but ornamental. 
I can see no reason, however, why nur- 
serymen cannot supply staminate trees, 
because the plants can be grown from cut- 
tings. If planters could have some assurance 
of getting only the staminate trees, the beef- 
wood would certainly grow in favor 
None of the beefwoods have leaves; the 
branches are long, slender and _ jointed, 
reminding one very much of the horse-tail 
or scouring rush (Equisetum). The most 
ornamental beefwood which has had a fair 
trial here in California is C. stricta. It has 
upright branchlets, and in general appear- 
ance much resembles some of the cypresses, 
ora Short leaved pine. I know of one avenue 
bordered with C. stricta which was planted 
some twenty years ago; the trees are all 
about fifty feet high and the staminate and 
pistillate kinds are about equally presented. 
The staminate are fine, clean, spreading trees, 
satisfactory in every way, and are unsur- 
passed in appearance by any tree grown in 
California. The pistillate trees are not 
handsome for they are very slender, sparsely 
branched, and have many old, unsightly 
cones. 
Another beefwood grown here is C. 
equisetifolia. ‘This is of an entirely different 
habit, the branchlets (which usually pass 
for leaves) are long and drooping, which 
has led some nurserymen and gardeners to 
the name exquisitefolia or exquisite-leaved. 
2] 
It isa very handsome tree and is much taller 
than stricta. Thisisthe best known species, 
in Southern Florida and California, the wood 
being valuable for many purposes. 
Its specific name is taken from Equisetum, 
the scouring-rush, because the branches may 
be pulled to pieces joint by joint, just like 
the horse-tail. It is said that Casuarina 
was taken from Casuarius, the cassowary, 
because the plumage of the bird and the 
foliage of the tree are somewhat similar. 
The name beefwood comes from the red 
color of the wood, which is extremely hard, 
rivaling that of walnut and hickory. The 
wood of equisetifolia is used for shingles 
and fuel; that of stricta for tool handles. 
The beefwood is a native of Australia, 
where it has been known to attain an ex- 
treme height of 150 feet. It would be inter- 
esting to know the height of the tallest speci- 
mens in cultivation. Plants five to seven 
feet high in pots cost only seventy-five cents 
each or six dollars a dozen in California. 
The beefwood ought to be given a trial 
in our Southern states. It is procurable 
from Florida nurserymen. It may be hardy 
as far north as Savannah on the At- 
lantic coast and San Francisco on the Pacific. 
