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Rubber Tree

Ficus elastica · Moraceae
25m
Mature height
14
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
6
Councils: permit required
Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica) growing in Sydney
Rubber Tree · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Rubber Tree sits on the exempt species list in 14 of the 20 councils Pro Climbing Tree Services covers, so in most of Sydney it can be removed without a permit. Heritage listings and significant tree registers still override that.

How to identify it

Thick glossy oval leaves up to 300mm long, with a pointed pink sheath over each new leaf. Milky sap bleeds from any cut. Mature trees develop aerial roots and a very broad spreading crown.

Where it grows in Sydney

Planted as a feature tree in older gardens across the Eastern Suburbs, Inner West, Lower North Shore and Hunters Hill, and frequently now far larger than the space intended.

Common problems

  • Among the most damaging root systems of any tree in Sydney gardens
  • Aerial roots invade walls, fences and drains
  • Very large leaf litter volume
  • Milky sap irritates skin

What removal involves

Exempt in virtually every council on this list, which is a rare combination of easy approval and difficult work. The canopy spread and aerial root structure usually demand rigging, and the root plate often extends under structures. Budget realistically for root removal and reinstatement.

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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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 Rubber Tree exempt even though it is a fig?

Yes. It is named on the exempt species list of nearly every council covered here, including those that protect the native figs. The Northern Beaches wording exempts all Ficus except the three natives.

Commonly confused with

Weeping Fig
Both figs with milky sap and destructive roots. Rubber Tree has huge thick leaves, Weeping Fig small glossy ones

Related species

Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina) growing in Sydney
Weeping Fig
Ficus benjamina
Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla) growing in Sydney
Moreton Bay Fig
Ficus macrophylla
Port Jackson Fig (Ficus rubiginosa) growing in Sydney
Port Jackson Fig
Ficus rubiginosa
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 Teresa Grau Ros from Barcelona, Catalunya via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Quick facts

Botanical name
Ficus elastica
Also known as
Rubber Plant, Indian Rubber Fig
Family
Moraceae
Origin
South and Southeast Asia
Mature height
10m to 25m
Canopy spread
15m to 30m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Evergreen, very large, thick and glossy
Typical lifespan
100 years plus
Root habit
Extremely aggressive, often aerial
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No permit needed? Then we can book it in now.

Exempt species still need to come down safely, and several councils want notice or a fee free permit lodged first. We check that for your address, handle any paperwork, and quote the removal, stump grinding and clean up together.
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