Australian Pine tree — is Not a Pine?
That is correct — while Australian Pine (Casuarina equisetifolia) looks a lot like a pine tree, with its needle-like leaves and tiny “pine cones” this tree is not even close to being a true pine. You could say it has a definite identity crisis, as it is known by many other names: She-oak, Beefwood and Ironwood. They all refer to this tree that was introduced into the US back in 1898 from Australia with the best of intentions — it is fast-growing and has a large canopy that could act as a windbreak along the canals in Florida.
Then came the unintended consequences, which brings us to today where Australian Pine is considered an invasive weed tree. It can be found in localized areas of Southern California, Arizona, Hawaii, Texas and Alabama, but it is in Florida where Australian Pine has its greatest impacts — all negative.
This tree can grow to 150 feet in height, but its shallow root structure makes it vulnerable to blowing over in high wind conditions. It’s not a question of whether or not Australian Pines will blow over during a hurricane, it’s a certainty. The fast growth and large size also block out native vegetation, and the shallow root system interferes with American Crocodile and Sea Turtle nesting. And as if that’s not enough reasons to dislike this tree, it also causes allergies.
Australian Pine pollen is small (20–25 microns), windborne and produced in very large quantities. The trees bloom as early as January, and as late as April, with the heavier pollen typically seen later in that range. Of course, in that time frame there also a lot of other trees contributing their pollen as well, so the only way to identify what is causing your allergy symptoms is to get tested.
There is one bit of good news regarding Australian Pine — it cannot tolerate temperatures below 28°F for any extended period of time, so its influence, geographically, will hopefully remain somewhat limited.
