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Evergreen Alder

Alnus jorullensis · Betulaceae
20m
Mature height
6
Councils: no permit needed
1
Councils: exempt under a height limit
13
Councils: permit required
Evergreen Alder (Alnus jorullensis) growing in Sydney
Evergreen Alder · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Evergreen Alder is exempt in some councils and protected in others, and several exemptions carry a height limit. Check the table below against the council for your address before assuming a permit is not needed.

How to identify it

A fast growing upright tree with glossy serrated leaves and small woody cone like fruit that persist on the branches. Bark is smooth and grey when young, becoming fissured with age.

Where it grows in Sydney

Planted heavily as a fast screen through the North Shore, Hornsby Shire, Ku-ring-gai, Ryde and the Inner West from the 1970s onwards.

Common problems

  • Roots seek water and invade sewer and stormwater lines
  • Grows far larger than the screening role intended
  • Weak wood with frequent limb failure
  • Suckers from the root system

What removal involves

Exempt in Northern Beaches, Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby, Ryde, Lane Cove under 10m, Inner West and Randwick. A common removal where blocked drains have been traced back to the tree. Sucker management should be part of the scope.

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
TEST SENTENCE (exempt): no permit needed for this species. Official rules
Ku-ring-gai
No permit needed
TEST SENTENCE (exempt): no permit needed for this species. Official rules
Hornsby Shire
No permit needed
TEST SENTENCE (exempt): no permit needed for this species. 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 10m
Exempt only below 10m in height. At or above that size a tree permit is required. Heritage listings override the exemption. Official rules
City of Ryde
No permit needed
TEST SENTENCE (exempt): no permit needed for this species. 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
No permit needed
TEST SENTENCE (exempt): no permit needed for this species. 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
No permit needed
TEST SENTENCE (exempt): no permit needed for this species. 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
The plumber says alder roots are in my sewer. Is that typical?

Yes. Evergreen Alder is one of the most common species found in blocked sewer lines across the North Shore. Removal stops the source, but the pipe usually still needs relining or replacement.

Commonly confused with

Chinese Hackberry
Both fast growing weed trees with serrated leaves that invade drains

Related species

Chinese Hackberry (Celtis sinensis) growing in Sydney
Chinese Hackberry
Celtis sinensis
London Plane (Platanus x acerifolia) growing in Sydney
London Plane
Platanus x acerifolia
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 Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Quick facts

Botanical name
Alnus jorullensis
Also known as
Mexican Alder
Family
Betulaceae
Origin
Central America
Mature height
10m to 20m
Canopy spread
8m to 12m
Growth rate
Very fast
Foliage
Evergreen to semi deciduous, serrated, glossy
Typical lifespan
40 years plus
Root habit
Very aggressive and water seeking
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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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