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Mulberry

Morus nigra · Moraceae
12m
Mature height
10
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
10
Councils: permit required
Mulberry (Morus nigra) growing in Sydney
Mulberry · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Mulberry 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

Large rough heart shaped leaves on a low spreading tree with a broad gnarled trunk. Dark purple black fruit in late spring and early summer that stains everything it touches.

Where it grows in Sydney

A fixture of older backyards across the whole of Sydney, particularly common in the Inner West, Canterbury-Bankstown, Georges River and Blacktown.

Common problems

  • Heavy fruit fall that stains paving, cars and pool surrounds
  • Attracts flying foxes and large numbers of birds
  • Spreading low canopy over fences and neighbouring yards
  • Surface roots lift paving and lawn

What removal involves

Exempt in most councils on this list either by name or under the general fruit tree exemption. Note that the fruit tree exemption in Hornsby and Georges River specifically excludes natives such as Lilly Pilly, Blueberry Ash and Macadamia, but Mulberry is squarely inside it.

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
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
The Hills Shire
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Bayside
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
Georges River
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
Strathfield
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
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
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
Is the fruit tree exemption enough on its own?

In most councils yes, for exotic fruit trees. Hornsby exempts all edible fruit and nut trees except natives, The Hills exempts trees grown for their fruit, and Georges River exempts fruit and fodder trees excluding natives.

Commonly confused with

Chinese Hackberry
Both self seed freely and both stain paving with dropped fruit

Related species

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) growing in Sydney
Loquat
Eriobotrya japonica
Chinese Hackberry (Celtis sinensis) growing in Sydney
Chinese Hackberry
Celtis sinensis
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 Calistemon via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick facts

Botanical name
Morus nigra
Also known as
Black Mulberry
Family
Moraceae
Origin
Southwest Asia
Mature height
6m to 12m
Canopy spread
8m to 15m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Deciduous, large, heart shaped, rough textured
Typical lifespan
100 years plus
Root habit
Shallow and spreading
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