Rock sheoak

Rock sheoak, Sighing sheoak (Allocasuarina huegeliana)

Rock sheoak is found on rocky sites in the Darling Range and in the wheatbelt to the east. It is a slender tree, growing up to 9 m tall. Wind blowing through the foliage is said to make a “sighing” sound. Female trees develop egg-shaped cones containing seeds, and male trees produce small but prolific brown flowers in winter and spring, giving the foliage a brown appearance. Spider orchids often grow in the litter of dead foliage below.

Ref: “Leaf and branch: trees and tall shrubs of Perth” by Robert Powell. Published by the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation, 2009.