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Blueberry Ash

Elaeocarpus reticulatus · Elaeocarpaceae
12m
Mature height
0
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
20
Councils: permit required
Blueberry Ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus) growing in Sydney
Blueberry Ash · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Blueberry Ash is a protected tree in effectively every council Pro Climbing Tree Services covers. Expect to need a tree permit, or a development application where the property is heritage listed or in a heritage conservation area.

How to identify it

A slim upright small tree with leathery serrated leaves that often turn red before dropping individually. Fringed bell shaped white or pink flowers in spring, followed by bright blue berries that persist for months.

Where it grows in Sydney

Naturally in sandstone gullies and moist forest across the Northern Beaches, Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby and Lane Cove, and heavily planted as a screening tree in newer gardens.

Common problems

  • Berry drop that stains paving and attracts birds
  • Often planted too close together as a screen and then thins out
  • Specifically excluded from fruit tree exemptions in several councils

What removal involves

Small and easy to remove physically. The compliance trap is the fruit tree exemption: Hornsby and Georges River both name Blueberry Ash as excluded from the edible fruit and nut tree exemption, so do not treat it as a fruit tree. Standard native protection applies.

Council permit rules, council by council

Status below is for a tree on private land that has passed the council’s size threshold. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas, significant tree registers, biodiversity mapping and conditions of development consent override every exemption shown here.

Council
Status
What it means
Northern Beaches
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Ku-ring-gai
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Hornsby Shire
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
The Hills Shire
Confirm with Council
Council holds its species exemptions in a document rather than on its website, so confirm this species with Council before treating removal as exempt. Size thresholds apply in the meantime. Official rules
Blacktown City
Permit required
Council does not run a species exemption list. A permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold, and each tree is assessed on its own merits. Official rules
North Sydney
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Willoughby
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Lane Cove
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
City of Ryde
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Hunters Hill
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
City of Sydney
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Inner West
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Woollahra
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Waverley
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Randwick
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Bayside
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Georges River
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Strathfield
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Burwood
Confirm with Council
Council holds its species exemptions in a document rather than on its website, so confirm this species with Council before treating removal as exempt. Size thresholds apply in the meantime. Official rules
Canterbury-Bankstown
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules

Frequently asked questions

It has berries, so is it covered by the fruit tree exemption?

No. Hornsby and Georges River specifically exclude native species such as Blueberry Ash, Lilly Pilly and Macadamia from the fruit tree exemption. It is treated as a protected native.

Commonly confused with

Lilly Pilly
Blueberry Ash has serrated leaves and fringed bell flowers. Neither counts as a fruit tree for permit purposes

Related species

Lilly Pilly (Syzygium smithii) growing in Sydney
Lilly Pilly
Syzygium smithii
Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides) growing in Sydney
Tuckeroo
Cupaniopsis anacardioides
Bangalow Palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana) growing in Sydney
Bangalow Palm
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana
Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) growing in Sydney
Blackbutt
Eucalyptus pilularis

Important note on council rules

This encyclopedia is a practical guide for Sydney property owners, not legal advice. Council tree rules change, and exemptions are frequently overridden by heritage listings, heritage conservation areas, significant tree registers, biodiversity mapping, endangered ecological communities and conditions attached to development consent. Always confirm the current rules with your council for your specific address before any tree work begins, or ask us to check it for you.

Quick facts

Botanical name
Elaeocarpus reticulatus
Also known as
Fairy Petticoats
Family
Elaeocarpaceae
Origin
Native to eastern Australia
Mature height
6m to 12m
Canopy spread
3m to 6m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Evergreen, serrated, leathery
Typical lifespan
80 years plus
Root habit
Compact and non invasive
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Most councils will not accept a removal application without species identification, photographs and a stated reason. We prepare and lodge the lot, then carry out the work once it is approved. One call, one invoice, no forms to work out yourself.
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