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Jacaranda

Jacaranda mimosifolia · Bignoniaceae
18m
Mature height
1
Councils: no permit needed
1
Councils: exempt under a height limit
18
Councils: permit required
Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) growing in Sydney
Jacaranda · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Jacaranda 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, twice divided fern like leaves and a spreading vase shaped crown. Unmistakable in late spring when it carries a full canopy of purple blue trumpet flowers, followed by flat round woody seed pods.

Where it grows in Sydney

An icon of Sydney streets, especially in the Inner West, Lower North Shore, Eastern Suburbs, Hunters Hill and Lane Cove. Huge numbers of both street and private specimens.

Common problems

  • Flower fall that turns paving and driveways slippery
  • Brittle limbs that fail in storms
  • Often planted in narrow verges and outgrows the space
  • Strong community attachment makes removal applications contentious

What removal involves

Physically simple, socially sensitive. Exempt on the Northern Beaches at any size and in Lane Cove under 6m, but protected elsewhere on this list. Many are street trees, so confirm ownership before quoting, and expect councils to weigh streetscape character in the assessment.

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
Can I remove a Jacaranda on my nature strip?

No. Verge trees are council owned in every LGA on this list. You would need to apply to the council’s own street tree team, and unauthorised removal carries substantial penalties.

Is Jacaranda exempt anywhere?

On the Northern Beaches it is on the exempt species list at any size, and in Lane Cove it is fee free under 6m. Elsewhere on this list a permit is required.

Commonly confused with

Silky Oak
Jacaranda leaves are twice divided and softer. Silky Oak has a silvery leaf underside

Related species

Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta) growing in Sydney
Silky Oak
Grevillea robusta
China Doll (Radermachera sinica) growing in Sydney
China Doll
Radermachera sinica
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 Jules Verne Times Two via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick facts

Botanical name
Jacaranda mimosifolia
Family
Bignoniaceae
Origin
South America
Mature height
10m to 18m
Canopy spread
10m to 15m
Growth rate
Moderate to fast
Foliage
Deciduous, fine and fern like
Typical lifespan
100 years plus
Root habit
Moderately spreading, generally not aggressive
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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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