• Proudly serving Homeowners, Strata, Government, Property Managers and Business Owners since 2009
Get A Free Quote

Liquidambar

Liquidambar styraciflua · Altingiaceae
30m
Mature height
1
Councils: no permit needed
4
Councils: exempt under a height limit
15
Councils: permit required
Liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua) growing in Sydney
Liquidambar ยท typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Liquidambar 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

Star shaped five lobed leaves that colour brilliantly in red, orange and purple through autumn. Spiky ball shaped seed capsules litter the ground below. Corky ridges often form on younger branches.

Where it grows in Sydney

Planted heavily as a street and garden tree from the 1960s onwards across the North Shore, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Ryde, Hunters Hill and the Inner West.

Common problems

  • Aggressive roots that lift driveways, crack pipes and damage footings
  • Spiky seed balls that are a constant slip and mowing hazard
  • Grows far larger than the space it was planted in
  • Heavy autumn leaf drop into gutters and pools

What removal involves

Very common removal, and the height caps matter. Ku-ring-gai exempts it under 12m, Lane Cove, Hunters Hill and City of Sydney under 10m, and the Northern Beaches at any size. Everywhere else it is protected. Root damage claims are usually the strongest part of an application where no exemption applies.

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
Exempt under 12m
Exempt only below 12m in height. At or above that size a tree permit is required. Heritage listings override the exemption. 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 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
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
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 Sydney
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
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
Is Liquidambar exempt in Ku-ring-gai?

Yes, but only under 12m in height. Above that it needs a tree permit like any other protected tree.

My Liquidambar is cracking the driveway. Does that guarantee approval?

It strengthens the case but does not guarantee it. Councils generally want evidence linking the damage to the tree, and several will not approve removal for minor root damage alone.

Commonly confused with

London Plane
Both large deciduous street trees with lobed leaves and spiky ball fruit. Plane bark flakes to cream patches, Liquidambar does not

Related species

London Plane (Platanus x acerifolia) growing in Sydney
London Plane
Platanus x acerifolia
Box Elder (Acer negundo) growing in Sydney
Box Elder
Acer negundo
Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) growing in Sydney
Crepe Myrtle
Lagerstroemia indica
African Olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) growing in Sydney
African Olive
Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata

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 Agnieszka Kwiecieล„, Nova via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick facts

Botanical name
Liquidambar styraciflua
Also known as
Sweetgum, American Sweetgum
Family
Altingiaceae
Origin
North America
Mature height
20m to 30m
Canopy spread
10m to 15m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Deciduous, star shaped, strong autumn colour
Typical lifespan
120 years plus
Root habit
Very aggressive, shallow and wide
Get a Free Quote
Call 0415 463 647

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.
Start a permit application
Call 0415 463 647

Get A Complimentary Fast Quote