• Proudly serving Homeowners, Strata, Government, Property Managers and Business Owners since 2009
Get A Free Quote

Swamp Mahogany

Eucalyptus robusta · Myrtaceae
25m
Mature height
0
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
20
Councils: permit required
Swamp Mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta) growing in Sydney
Swamp Mahogany · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Swamp Mahogany 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

Thick, soft, spongy red brown stringy bark over the whole trunk. Leaves are notably broad, thick and glossy compared to most eucalypts. Large ribbed buds and cylindrical gumnuts. Cream flowers through autumn and winter.

Where it grows in Sydney

Low lying and damp sites near the coast, including parts of the Northern Beaches around Narrabeen, Warriewood and Ingleside, and pockets of the Eastern Suburbs and Bayside.

Common problems

  • Shallow roots that seek out drains, pipes and damp footings
  • Winter flowering makes it important food for Grey-headed Flying-fox and swift parrots
  • Prone to windthrow on saturated soils
  • Large leaves and bark create a heavy litter load

What removal involves

The habitat argument is the key issue. Swamp Mahogany is a listed winter food source for threatened fauna, so councils weigh removal carefully, particularly around the Warriewood and Narrabeen wetlands. Shallow rooting in wet ground can also make stump grinding and access more difficult.

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
Why is Swamp Mahogany treated differently to other gums?

It flowers in winter when little else does, which makes it a critical food source for the threatened Grey-headed Flying-fox. Councils in the Northern Beaches take that into account when assessing removal.

Commonly confused with

Forest Red Gum
Both grow on damp ground. Swamp Mahogany has thick spongy bark and much broader leaves

Related species

Sydney Blue Gum (Eucalyptus saligna) growing in Sydney
Sydney Blue Gum
Eucalyptus saligna
Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) growing in Sydney
Forest Red Gum
Eucalyptus tereticornis
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.
Photo by Forest and Kim Starr via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 us

Quick facts

Botanical name
Eucalyptus robusta
Also known as
Swamp Messmate
Family
Myrtaceae
Origin
Native to coastal NSW
Mature height
15m to 25m
Canopy spread
10m to 20m
Growth rate
Moderate to fast
Foliage
Evergreen, broad, thick and glossy
Typical lifespan
150 years plus
Root habit
Shallow and moisture seeking
Get a Free Quote
Call 0415 463 647

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.
Start a permit application
Call 0415 463 647

Get A Complimentary Fast Quote