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Illawarra Flame Tree

Brachychiton acerifolius · Malvaceae
30m
Mature height
1
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
19
Councils: permit required
Illawarra Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius) growing in Sydney
Illawarra Flame Tree · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Illawarra Flame Tree 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

Unmistakable in summer when the tree drops its leaves and covers itself in brilliant scarlet bell flowers. Leaves are glossy and variably lobed. Boat shaped woody seed pods contain irritating yellow hairs around the seeds.

Where it grows in Sydney

Widely planted as a feature tree across the Northern Beaches, North Shore, Inner West and Eastern Suburbs, and occasionally naturally occurring in warm sheltered gullies.

Common problems

  • Very large at maturity for the gardens it is planted in
  • Seed pod hairs irritate skin and eyes
  • Flower and leaf drop in large volumes
  • Fleshy roots damage nearby paving

What removal involves

Worth checking the council before quoting, because status varies. It is on the Northern Beaches exempt species list, which is unusual for a native, while in every other council on this list it is treated as a protected tree subject to the size thresholds.

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
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

Is the Illawarra Flame Tree really exempt on the Northern Beaches?

Yes. It appears on the Northern Beaches exempt tree species list, so it can be removed without consent unless it is a heritage item or within a heritage conservation area. That exemption does not carry to other councils.

Commonly confused with

Coral Tree
Flame Tree is a protected native in most councils. Coral Tree is an exempt weed. Worth getting right before quoting

Related species

Coral Tree (Erythrina x sykesii) growing in Sydney
Coral Tree
Erythrina x sykesii
Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides) growing in Sydney
Tuckeroo
Cupaniopsis anacardioides
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 Nicholas Blumhardt via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Quick facts

Botanical name
Brachychiton acerifolius
Also known as
Flame Tree
Family
Malvaceae
Origin
Native to the NSW and Queensland coast
Mature height
15m to 30m
Canopy spread
8m to 15m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Deciduous before flowering, lobed and glossy
Typical lifespan
100 years plus
Root habit
Fleshy, moderately spreading
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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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