Wood Species Guide
Sheoak
Allocasuarina fraseriana (formerly Casuarina fraseriana)
Also called: Western Sheoak, Western Australian Sheoak, She-oak, WA Sheoak, Common Sheoak
About the name “Sheoak”
She-oak is a group name for many Australian Allocasuarina and Casuarina trees. This page covers western sheoak, the main timber species. They are not oaks; the name comes from the oak-like ray figure. Florida's Australian pine is a relative.
What Sheoak looks like
Heartwood is a warm pinkish brown to reddish brown. Quartersawn faces show large, darker ray flecks over a lighter background. Sapwood is pale and narrow.
Grain and texture
Straight grain with a medium texture. The tall rays give quartersawn boards a bold, lace-like figure similar to silky oak.
Working Sheoak: planing, cutting and gluing
Hard but works reasonably well with sharp tools, and it turns cleanly. The rays can flake out on flatsawn faces, so keep cuts light. It glues and finishes well.
Finishing Sheoak: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Clear oil or a satin film finish shows off the ray figure best. The surface seals readily under epoxy, but check rays for small splits before a pour.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Rated durable and resistant to borers, though published data is limited. It is fairly stable once dry. In Florida, treat it as an indoor furniture wood and acclimate it before building.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Sheoak is a small-tree wood prized in Australia for furniture, flooring and turned work with dramatic ray figure. It rarely leaves Australia, so pieces here are mostly hobby and specialty stock. We don't stock it, but ask us and we can often source it.
Common uses for Sheoak
Furniture, flooring, cabinet panels, turned objects, roof shingles (historically) and small specialty items.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices. Rated Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Safety and toxicity
- No common reactions reported
Few reports. No reactions beyond ordinary dust irritation are documented.
- In the shop
- Dust collection + mask when sanding
- Food contact
- Use with care for cutting boards, bowls and utensils
General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.
No reactions beyond ordinary wood dust irritation have been reported. Use dust collection and a mask when sanding.
Sheoak in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Sheoak listed online right now, but new slabs and lumber come in all the time and not everything makes it to the website. Tell us what you're building and we'll check our racks and suppliers.
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