Casuarina Groundcovers: Casuarina glauca prostrate

I adore Casuarinas, in all shapes and forms, so I’m pretty happy with the number of ground cover Casuarinas that are around at the moment. They are tough, quick growing and have a lovely weeping soft look about them, they also can grow to form interesting shapes and textures in the garden. By the way the decorative little lumps seen here aren’t flowers or fruit developing but a gall, isn’t it pretty?

Below is Casuarina glauca prostrate form spilling over the edge of a retaining wall, this particular variety doesn’t have much height to it, it is densely carpeting and spreads a couple of metres. As a ground cover they don’t really like laying on the soil, especially when its wet, you may find a bit of die-back underneath, which is find as long as it isn’t showing on top, you can prune them to avoid this happening.

Below is a mass panting of Casuarina ‘Cousin It’, they grow with little bumps to begin with and then spread out, they will assist with the retention of moisture, soil erosion and suppression of weeds.

Posted

13/11/2013

Coastal, Drought hardy, Frost tolerant, Groundcover

Kath Gadd

Tags:

Casuarina ‘Cousin It’, Casuarina glauca prostrate form, clay soils, spill over, weeping habit

Comments

10 responses to “Casuarina Groundcovers: Casuarina glauca prostrate”

Kay Playforth

28/12/2017

How do I care for my Protrate Sheoak in Australia… Central western NSW.???
Please help.

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  29/12/2017
  
  Hi Kay,
  
  The Casuarina glauca prostrate forms can take a while to get going, they like to receive regular deep watering for the first 12 months at least.
  Hope this info helps,
  
  Best Wishes,
  
  Kath
  
  Reply
Alison

08/02/2020

Hi Kath,
Thanks for your ideas. I’m planting in a coastal garden in Sydney with hungry wallabies – do you know if they will eat Casaurinas?
Thanks,
Alison

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  10/02/2020
  
  Hi Alsion,
  
  I would have thought the wallabies would need to be VERY hungry to eat Casuarinas, as the new growth doesn’t hold a lot of moisture. Casuarinas are more of a food source for seed eating birds like Cockatoos and other parrots with larger strong beaks.
  
  Hope this info helps,
  
  Best Wishes,
  
  Kath
  
  Reply
  1. Alison
    
    13/03/2020
    
    Thanks very much Kath.
    
    Reply
    1. Aimee
      
      02/07/2021
      
      Hi Kath and Alison,
      I had planted a number of casuarinas (cousin it’s) in my front rocky garden bed and was excited to watch them get new growth. It didn’t even occur to me that wallabies or pademelons would want to nibble on them (I live on the city fringe). Unfortunately the pademelons in Hobart have all but decimated my casuarinas in the last month – one plant is down to a mere sticky stem. I’m hoping that this is just an annoying side effect of winter with there being minimal other available shrubs around. I’m thinking my casuarinas will grow back, but without fencing, I’m not sure I can stop the pademelons from coming back next winter. Hopefully the wallabies aren’t so hungry in Sydney.
      Good luck!
      Aimee
      
      Reply
Bruce Isaacs

25/11/2021

Hi Kath

Can Casuarina Glauca Prostrate be walked on once established, without much harm ? Or any other grasses like this that can be ? (we have an area we don’t want to mow, but would be walked on a bit

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  26/11/2021
  
  Hi Bruce,
  
  Unfortunately not, the stems can become broken fairly easily so it doesn’t really work as a lawn substitute.
  
  Best Wishes,
  
  Kath
  
  Reply
Kirsty grant

30/01/2024

Hi. Does the root system of Casuarina Glauca Prostrate pose any concern for ag drains/pipes etc that are located within retaining walls where they are planted?

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  19/02/2024
  
  Hi Kristy,
  
  Casuarina species have a natural moisture seeking root system, so it would depend how close you are planting them to the ag lines. However being a ground cover/low shrub the root system should not be too extensive.
  Best Wishes,
  Kath
  
  Reply