CASUARINA / COMMON RU (Casuarina Equisetifolia)
Equisetifolia means foliage like horse-tails. This Australian tree got its name from it’s long drooping branches which resembles the feathers of the Cassowary, a large ostrich like flightless bird from New Guinea. The tree is native to South East Asia. It is a fast growing tree that can reach 50 m in height. The green twigs resemble pine needles. Cone like fruits look like miniature durians which split open to release small wind-borne seeds. This tree is remarkable as it not only produces it’s own fertilizer enabling it to survive under almost any conditions eg the beach. It provides the best firewood in the world. It is an excellent windbreak, can be grown into a hedge or used for ornamental landscaping, produces a very hard termite resistant timber and has a bark which provide chemicals for tanning and dyeing. Medicinally, the bark has also been used to treat dysentery and diarrhea.