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Grey Ironbark

Eucalyptus paniculata · Myrtaceae
35m
Mature height
0
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
20
Councils: permit required
Grey Ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata) growing in Sydney
Grey Ironbark · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Grey Ironbark 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

Hard, deeply furrowed dark grey to black bark that persists over the entire trunk and branches and does not shed. The bark is impregnated with kino and is noticeably hard to cut. Leaves are grey green and lance shaped, with white flowers from autumn to spring.

Where it grows in Sydney

Found on shale soils through Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby, Ryde and the Hills District, often alongside Turpentine in Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest remnants.

Common problems

  • Extremely hard timber that blunts chain and increases labour time
  • Commonly part of an endangered ecological community
  • Large mature dimensions in suburban gardens
  • Retains heavy deadwood high in the crown

What removal involves

Physically the most demanding eucalypt removal in Sydney because of timber density. Budget extra time for cutting and chipping. Like Turpentine it is often tied to a critically endangered ecological community, so the approval pathway can be longer than a standard tree permit.

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

Why is Ironbark removal more expensive?

The timber is exceptionally dense and hard, which slows cutting, wears equipment and increases both labour hours and disposal weight. The size and habitat value of mature specimens usually add approval time as well.

Commonly confused with

Turpentine
Both dense shale soil natives found together in Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest. Ironbark bark is hard and furrowed, Turpentine is soft and fibrous

Related species

Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera) growing in Sydney
Turpentine
Syncarpia glomulifera
Sydney Blue Gum (Eucalyptus saligna) growing in Sydney
Sydney Blue Gum
Eucalyptus saligna
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 Forest and Kim Starr via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 us

Quick facts

Botanical name
Eucalyptus paniculata
Also known as
Ironbark
Family
Myrtaceae
Origin
Native to coastal NSW
Mature height
20m to 35m
Canopy spread
10m to 20m
Growth rate
Slow to moderate
Foliage
Evergreen, lance shaped, grey green
Typical lifespan
250 years plus
Root habit
Deep
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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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