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Rhus Tree

Toxicodendron succedaneum · Anacardiaceae
10m
Mature height
9
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
11
Councils: permit required
Rhus Tree (Toxicodendron succedaneum) growing in Sydney
Rhus Tree · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Rhus Tree 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

Compound leaves with nine to fifteen leaflets that turn a spectacular scarlet in autumn, which is why it was planted. Small cream flowers and clusters of pale waxy fruit. Every part of the plant contains urushiol, the same compound as poison ivy.

Where it grows in Sydney

Scattered through older gardens across the North Shore, Inner West, Eastern Suburbs and Southern Sydney, and naturalised in bushland edges.

Common problems

  • Causes severe allergic dermatitis on contact, including from smoke and sawdust
  • Declared a noxious plant historically and still a notifiable concern in some areas
  • Suckers from roots
  • Frequently misidentified as a harmless ornamental because of the autumn colour

What removal involves

Exempt in most councils on this list. This is genuinely not a DIY removal. Urushiol causes severe reactions through skin contact, airborne sawdust and burning, so full protective equipment and careful waste handling are required. Never burn the material.

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
How dangerous is a Rhus Tree?

The sap contains urushiol, the compound in poison ivy. Reactions range from a rash to severe blistering requiring medical treatment, and can be triggered by sawdust or smoke as well as direct contact. It should only be removed by crews equipped for it.

Do I need approval to remove it?

In most councils covered here it is on the exempt species list, including Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby, Lane Cove, Ryde, Inner West, Waverley, Randwick, Georges River, Strathfield and Canterbury-Bankstown.

Commonly confused with

Tree of Heaven
Rhus has smooth edged leaflets and brilliant scarlet autumn colour. Tree of Heaven smells rank when crushed

Related species

Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) growing in Sydney
Tree of Heaven
Ailanthus altissima
Box Elder (Acer negundo) growing in Sydney
Box Elder
Acer negundo
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 harum.koh from Kobe city, Japan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Quick facts

Botanical name
Toxicodendron succedaneum
Also known as
Wax Tree, Japanese Wax Tree
Family
Anacardiaceae
Origin
East Asia
Mature height
5m to 10m
Canopy spread
4m to 8m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Deciduous, compound, brilliant red autumn colour
Typical lifespan
50 years plus
Root habit
Suckering
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