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Cocos Palm

Syagrus romanzoffiana · Arecaceae
15m
Mature height
12
Councils: no permit needed
1
Councils: exempt under a height limit
7
Councils: permit required
Cocos Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) growing in Sydney
Cocos Palm · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Cocos Palm sits on the exempt species list in 12 of the 20 councils Pro Climbing Tree Services covers, so in most of Sydney it can be removed without a permit. Heritage listings and significant tree registers still override that.

How to identify it

A tall grey ringed trunk with no green crownshaft, topped by long arching feather fronds. Old frond bases often remain as untidy stubs. Huge hanging clusters of hard orange fruit, which is the giveaway.

Where it grows in Sydney

Planted in tens of thousands of Sydney gardens from the 1970s onwards and now naturalised through bushland, creek lines and back fences in every LGA on this list.

Common problems

  • Heavy fruit drop that stains paving, blocks gutters and is a slip hazard
  • Fronds shed from height without warning
  • Fruit is implicated in harm to flying foxes and spreads seedlings widely
  • Regularly planted too close to buildings, pools and boundaries

What removal involves

The single most removed palm in Sydney and exempt in most of the councils covered here, which makes it a quick booking. Bayside caps the exemption at 5m. Access is usually the only real constraint since fronds and trunk sections must be lowered over pools, pergolas and fences.

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
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Ku-ring-gai
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Hornsby Shire
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. 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
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. 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
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
City of Ryde
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. 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
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Inner West
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Woollahra
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Waverley
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Randwick
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. Official rules
Bayside
Exempt under 5m
Exempt only below 5m in height. At or above that size a tree permit is required. Heritage listings override the exemption. Official rules
Georges River
No permit needed
On Council's exempt species list, so no permit is required for removal. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas and significant tree register listings still override the exemption. 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

Do I need a permit to remove a Cocos Palm?

In most of the councils Pro Climbing Tree Services covers, no. It is on the exempt species list in Northern Beaches, Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby, North Sydney, Lane Cove, Ryde, City of Sydney, Inner West, Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick, Georges River and Canterbury-Bankstown. Bayside exempts it only under 5m. Always check heritage status first.

Can the fruit just be removed instead?

Yes, de-fruiting and frond clean up is a common annual job and is far cheaper than removal. It does need repeating each season.

Commonly confused with

Bangalow Palm
Bangalow is a protected native in most councils, Cocos is exempt in nearly all of them

Related species

Bangalow Palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana) growing in Sydney
Bangalow Palm
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana
Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis) growing in Sydney
Canary Island Date Palm
Phoenix canariensis
Golden Cane Palm (Dypsis lutescens) growing in Sydney
Golden Cane Palm
Dypsis lutescens
Cabbage Tree Palm (Livistona australis) growing in Sydney
Cabbage Tree Palm
Livistona australis

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.
Photo by John Robert McPherson via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick facts

Botanical name
Syagrus romanzoffiana
Also known as
Queen Palm, Arecastrum romanzoffianum
Family
Arecaceae
Origin
South America
Mature height
10m to 15m
Canopy spread
4m to 6m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Evergreen feather shaped fronds
Typical lifespan
60 years plus
Root habit
Fibrous and compact
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No permit needed? Then we can book it in now.

Exempt species still need to come down safely, and several councils want notice or a fee free permit lodged first. We check that for your address, handle any paperwork, and quote the removal, stump grinding and clean up together.
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