Casuarina glauca grows in difficult, saline sites inhospitable to many other trees. This Casuarina has been planted in agroforestry systems primarily as a windbreak but also in woodlots for fuelwood and reserve fodder. The length of the internodes on branchlets averages 15 mm. The reduced, true leaves appear as teeth at the nodes and vary in number from 12-16, occasionally to 20.
Female flowers are sma dark red, and inconspicuous.
Males trees flower at 2-3 years of age and female trees produce fruits one year later. Fruit bracteoles are relatively thin compared to other casuarinas. Closed cones may persist on the tree for more than a year. Casuarina glauca hybridizes with other casuarina species through open, wind pollination. Trees occasionally extend 50-80 km inland.