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Sydney Peppermint

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

Do you need a permit?

Sydney Peppermint 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

Finely fibrous grey brown bark on the trunk and larger branches, with smooth white branchlets above. Crushed leaves smell strongly of peppermint. Small white flowers in clusters through summer.

Where it grows in Sydney

One of the most common trees of the Sydney sandstone, found throughout the Northern Beaches, Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby and Lane Cove bushland and on bush fringe properties.

Common problems

  • Fibrous bark raises ember risk on bushfire prone blocks
  • Prone to decay pockets and hollow development with age
  • Heavy leaf and bark litter
  • Usually within mapped native vegetation

What removal involves

Common on bush fringe blocks where the 10/50 Vegetation Clearing rules may offer an alternative pathway. Check the RFS 10/50 tool first, then the council’s biodiversity mapping. Hollows in older specimens often trigger a habitat condition on the approval.

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
What is the 10/50 rule and does it apply to my peppermint?

The NSW 10/50 Vegetation Clearing Code lets owners in designated entitlement areas clear trees within 10 metres of a home without approval. Check the RFS 10/50 tool for your address, because entitlement areas are specific and heritage or ecological constraints can remove the green tick.

Commonly confused with

Red Bloodwood
Crush a leaf for the peppermint scent, and check for Bloodwood's square patterned bark

Related species

Scribbly Gum (Eucalyptus haemastoma) growing in Sydney
Scribbly Gum
Eucalyptus haemastoma
Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) growing in Sydney
Blackbutt
Eucalyptus pilularis
Bangalow Palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana) growing in Sydney
Bangalow Palm
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana
Blueberry Ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus) growing in Sydney
Blueberry Ash
Elaeocarpus reticulatus

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
Eucalyptus piperita
Also known as
Peppermint Gum
Family
Myrtaceae
Origin
Native to the Sydney region
Mature height
12m to 25m
Canopy spread
10m to 18m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Evergreen, peppermint scented when crushed
Typical lifespan
150 years plus
Root habit
Shallow to moderate over sandstone
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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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