A medium sized to tall tree (20 - 35 m) native to eastern and northern Australia. It is the largest of the Australian casuarinas. It naturally occurs in pure stands along water courses between normal water level and flood level, in rainfalls from 500 - 1500 mm and at altitudes from sea level to 1000 m. It can also extend up rocky slopes, particularly limestone. The soils are typically gravel or sand. It is not very tolerant of soil salinity.
The foliage has been used as a drought fodder but is not high in nutrition. The wood ranges from dark red to purplish brown and is fissile, close grained, tough when seasoned, fairly durable with a density of 900 kg/cu m. The timber was once used for shingles and bullock yokes and is still used in Australia for turnery, tool handles and cask heads. It is a very good firewood.
Propagation is from seed. Seedlings are browsed by stock and need protection until beyond their reach.