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Forest Oak

Allocasuarina torulosa · Casuarinaceae
20m
Mature height
0
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
20
Councils: permit required
Forest Oak (Allocasuarina torulosa) growing in Sydney
Forest Oak · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Forest Oak 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

Fine drooping needle like foliage that turns bronze or rusty in cold weather, and corky furrowed bark. Small barrel shaped woody cones. The whole tree has a soft weeping silhouette.

Where it grows in Sydney

Common in forest and gully country through Hornsby Shire, Ku-ring-gai, the Northern Beaches and the Hills District, and widely used in revegetation plantings.

Common problems

  • Constant fine needle litter that smothers lawn and blocks gutters
  • Dense shade underneath and allelopathic litter that suppresses planting
  • Cones are a slip hazard on paths
  • Frequently part of mapped native vegetation

What removal involves

Straightforward climbing work with light material, but the needle litter volume is deceptive and chips slowly. As a native it is protected across the board and is often inside biodiversity mapping in Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai.

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

Nothing grows under my she-oak. Can I remove it for that?

Shading and litter alone are weak grounds. Canterbury-Bankstown states it will not approve removal for shading or leaf drop, and most other councils take a similar view. A health or structural issue is a stronger basis.

Commonly confused with

Radiata Pine
Both drop a fine needle litter that smothers lawn and blocks gutters, though only one is a conifer

Related species

Athel Tree (Tamarix aphylla) growing in Sydney
Athel Tree
Tamarix aphylla
Radiata Pine (Pinus radiata) growing in Sydney
Radiata Pine
Pinus radiata
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.
Photo by Mark Marathon via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick facts

Botanical name
Allocasuarina torulosa
Also known as
Rose She-oak, Forest She-oak
Family
Casuarinaceae
Origin
Native to eastern Australia
Mature height
10m to 20m
Canopy spread
5m to 10m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Evergreen, fine drooping needle like branchlets
Typical lifespan
100 years plus
Root habit
Moderate, nitrogen fixing
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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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