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Crepe Myrtle

Lagerstroemia indica · Lythraceae
8m
Mature height
1
Councils: no permit needed
1
Councils: exempt under a height limit
18
Councils: permit required
Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) growing in Sydney
Crepe Myrtle · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Crepe Myrtle 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

Smooth mottled bark that peels to reveal cinnamon and cream tones, and multi stemmed sculptural trunks. Crinkled crepe like flowers in pink, white, mauve or red through summer. Small leaves with orange red autumn colour.

Where it grows in Sydney

One of the most planted small garden trees across Sydney, particularly in the Inner West, Hills District, Blacktown and newer North Shore gardens.

Common problems

  • Powdery mildew and sooty mould on the foliage
  • Aphid honeydew dripping onto cars and paving
  • Multi stemmed habit crowds narrow garden beds
  • Often badly topped, producing knuckled regrowth

What removal involves

Exempt on the Northern Beaches at any size and in Lane Cove under 6m, and protected elsewhere subject to the size thresholds. Many specimens fall below council thresholds anyway. Small scale work, usually a half day at most.

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
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
Exempt under 6m
Exempt only below 6m in height. At or above that size a tree permit is required. Heritage listings override the exemption. 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
Everyone tops their Crepe Myrtle every winter. Is that acceptable?

It is common but it is poor practice. Repeated heading cuts create knuckled stubs and weak regrowth. Selective thinning keeps the natural vase shape and the flowering.

Commonly confused with

Mulberry
Both small backyard trees. Crepe Myrtle has smooth mottled cinnamon bark and summer flowers

Related species

Ornamental Pear (Pyrus calleryana) growing in Sydney
Ornamental Pear
Pyrus calleryana
Liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua) growing in Sydney
Liquidambar
Liquidambar styraciflua
African Olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) growing in Sydney
African Olive
Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata
Athel Tree (Tamarix aphylla) growing in Sydney
Athel Tree
Tamarix aphylla

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
Lagerstroemia indica
Also known as
Crape Myrtle
Family
Lythraceae
Origin
China and Korea
Mature height
4m to 8m
Canopy spread
3m to 6m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Deciduous, small, good autumn colour
Typical lifespan
60 years plus
Root habit
Compact and non invasive
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Need council approval? We handle the application.

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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