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Turpentine

Syncarpia glomulifera · Myrtaceae
35m
Mature height
0
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
20
Councils: permit required
Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera) growing in Sydney
Turpentine · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Turpentine 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 fibrous stringy bark in a distinctive reddish brown, soft enough to press a thumb into. Leaves grow in opposite pairs, dark green on top and noticeably whitish underneath. Fused clusters of woody fruit are unique among Sydney natives.

Where it grows in Sydney

A key component of Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest, found through Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby, Lane Cove, Ryde and parts of the Inner West on shale and shale sandstone transition soils.

Common problems

  • Dense heavy timber that is slow and demanding to dismantle
  • Very often part of a critically endangered ecological community
  • Large canopy over dwellings on older shale soil blocks
  • Slow growing, so councils value mature specimens highly

What removal involves

One of the hardest removals to get approved in Sydney. Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest is a critically endangered ecological community, and a Turpentine growing within a remnant will usually need an ecological assessment on top of the arborist report. The timber is also extremely dense, which affects both cutting time and green waste costs.

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 do councils protect Turpentine so strongly?

Less than five per cent of Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest remains. Individual trees are often the last remnants of that community on a block, so councils in Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby, Lane Cove and Ryde treat them as high value.

Can Turpentine be reduced rather than removed?

Yes, and it is usually the more approvable option. Most councils allow up to 10% canopy pruning in a 12 month period, with Willoughby capping it at 10% over five years and City of Sydney at 5%.

Commonly confused with

Grey Ironbark
Press the bark. Turpentine is soft and stringy, Ironbark is rock hard

Related species

Grey Ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata) growing in Sydney
Grey Ironbark
Eucalyptus paniculata
Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus) growing in Sydney
Brush Box
Lophostemon confertus
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
Syncarpia glomulifera
Family
Myrtaceae
Origin
Native to coastal NSW
Mature height
20m to 35m
Canopy spread
10m to 18m
Growth rate
Slow
Foliage
Evergreen, opposite pairs, dark above and pale below
Typical lifespan
250 years plus
Root habit
Deep and dense
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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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