Callitris columellaris

Callitris columellaris is a species of coniferous tree in the family Cupressaceae (cypress family), native to most of Australia. Common names include white cypress, white cypress-pine, Murray River cypress-pine, Bribie Island pine and northern cypress-pine. Callitris columellaris has become naturalised in Hawaii and in southern Florida.

Description

Evergreen tree reaching 20 m tall, hardy to UK zone 10. Monoecious with male and female flowers on the same plant. Thrives in light sandy and medium loamy soils, tolerating very alkaline and saline conditions. Requires full sun and well-drained soil; drought-tolerant once established.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It is a warm temperate plant.

Where It Grows

Australia*,

Cultivation

Prefers a dry sandy coastal soil in full sun, succeeding in saline soils. A very drought tolerant plant once established. This species can tolerate temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens but this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer, colder and wetter winters. Some reports say that plants can succeed outdoors in the very mildest areas of this country but another report places this species in hardiness zone 10, which would mean that it is not frost tolerant and could only be grown with winter protection. The plants are highly inflammable and are usually killed by forest fires. However, they store their seeds in unopened cones on the tree for many years, these seeds are released after a fire and then germinate freely.

Propagation

Seed - does not require stratification, germinating at any time of the year if it becomes moist. Sow in early spring in a greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Other Uses

Fuel Resin Tannin Wood A resin obtained from the stumps of felled trees or the cut logs is used as a coating for pills. The bark contains 11 - 23% dry weight of tannin. Wood - resinous, very aromatic, very durable, brittle, very flammable, hard, close grained. Used for construction. furniture making, cabinet making, fencing, ship building etc. Special Uses

Synonyms

References (1)

• Hunter, J.T., 2017, Is there a relationship between contemporary high Aboriginal plant resource locations and mapped vegetation communities? Cunninghamia 17:27-34. The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. ISSN 2200 - 405X