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Old Man Banksia

Banksia serrata · Proteaceae
12m
Mature height
0
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
20
Councils: permit required
Old Man Banksia (Banksia serrata) growing in Sydney
Old Man Banksia · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Old Man Banksia 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

Gnarled twisted form with thick warty grey bark. Leaves are stiff, leathery and strongly saw toothed along the margins. Large grey green flower spikes, then the heavy woody cones with protruding follicles that give the tree its character.

Where it grows in Sydney

Sandstone ridges and heath through the Northern Beaches, Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby and Lane Cove. Common at Belrose, Terrey Hills, Duffys Forest and St Ives.

Common problems

  • Very slow growing, so mature specimens are hard to replace
  • Highly sensitive to soil compaction and level changes
  • Often within mapped bushland and biodiversity overlays
  • Heavy cones drop from height

What removal involves

Councils defend this one. Slow growth and habitat value mean mature Old Man Banksias regularly appear on significant tree registers, and removal applications need strong justification. Where the tree is being retained through a build, a tree protection zone and supervision by a project arborist is the norm.

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
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. 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
The Banksia declined after our extension. Why?

Banksia serrata is extremely sensitive to root zone disturbance, soil compaction and changes to drainage. Damage during construction often shows up as decline twelve to twenty four months later.

Commonly confused with

Coastal Banksia
The strongly serrated leaf and thick warty bark separate Old Man Banksia

Related species

Coastal Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) growing in Sydney
Coastal Banksia
Banksia integrifolia
Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta) growing in Sydney
Silky Oak
Grevillea robusta
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.

Quick facts

Botanical name
Banksia serrata
Also known as
Saw Banksia
Family
Proteaceae
Origin
Native to the Sydney region
Mature height
5m to 12m
Canopy spread
4m to 8m
Growth rate
Slow
Foliage
Evergreen, stiff with serrated edges
Typical lifespan
150 years plus
Root habit
Spreading, very sensitive to disturbance
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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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