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Norfolk Island Hibiscus

Lagunaria patersonia · Malvaceae
15m
Mature height
9
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
11
Councils: permit required
Norfolk Island Hibiscus (Lagunaria patersonia) growing in Sydney
Norfolk Island Hibiscus · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Norfolk Island Hibiscus 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

A neat conical tree with grey green leaves that are pale and felted beneath. Pink hibiscus like flowers in summer, followed by woody capsules packed with fine irritant hairs that cause intense itching on contact.

Where it grows in Sydney

Planted extensively as a coastal street and park tree through Waverley, Randwick, Bayside, the Northern Beaches and City of Sydney, valued for salt and wind tolerance.

Common problems

  • Seed capsule hairs cause severe skin and eye irritation, a real hazard for children
  • Heavy capsule drop onto paths and play areas
  • Frequently a council street tree
  • Brittle limbs in coastal wind

What removal involves

Exempt in most councils covered here, largely because of the irritant seed capsules. The main practical issue is crew protection during dismantling and clean up, since the hairs affect skin, eyes and airways. Confirm ownership, as many are verge trees.

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
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
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
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
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
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
Woollahra
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
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
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
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
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
Why is it called the itchy bomb tree?

The woody seed capsules are lined with fine hairs that embed in skin and cause intense itching. Children who pick up and open the pods are the usual casualties, which is why so many councils exempt it.

Commonly confused with

Illawarra Flame Tree
Both coastal feature trees with showy flowers, though only the Flame Tree is a protected native

Related species

Illawarra Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius) growing in Sydney
Illawarra Flame Tree
Brachychiton acerifolius
Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides) growing in Sydney
Tuckeroo
Cupaniopsis anacardioides
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 Margaret Donald from Sydney, Australia via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Quick facts

Botanical name
Lagunaria patersonia
Also known as
Cow Itch Tree, Itchy Bomb Tree
Family
Malvaceae
Origin
Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island
Mature height
10m to 15m
Canopy spread
6m to 10m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Evergreen, grey green, felted underside
Typical lifespan
80 years plus
Root habit
Moderate
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