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Weeping Fig

Ficus benjamina · Moraceae
20m
Mature height
2
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
18
Councils: permit required
Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina) growing in Sydney
Weeping Fig · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Weeping Fig 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

Small glossy pointed leaves on gracefully drooping branchlets, forming a dense weeping canopy. Aerial roots descend from the limbs on mature trees. Small red to black figs.

Where it grows in Sydney

Planted as a hedge, screen or feature tree across the Eastern Suburbs, Inner West, Lower North Shore and City of Sydney, often in completely unsuitable positions.

Common problems

  • Root system among the most destructive of any tree in Sydney gardens
  • Roots invade sewers, footings, pools and retaining walls
  • Aerial roots attach to and damage masonry
  • Frequently planted as a hedge and then left to become a large tree

What removal involves

Exempt on the Northern Beaches, where all Ficus except the three natives are exempt, and in Ryde. Protected elsewhere on this list. The physical work is usually complicated by the proximity to structures and the extent of the root plate.

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
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
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
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

Frequently asked questions

Is Weeping Fig exempt like the Rubber Tree?

Only in some councils. Ryde names it on its exempt list and the Northern Beaches exempts all Ficus except Moreton Bay, Port Jackson and Sandpaper Fig. Most other councils on this list name Ficus elastica but not Ficus benjamina, so a permit is required.

Commonly confused with

Rubber Tree
Both exotic figs. Weeping Fig is exempt in fewer councils than the Rubber Tree, so check before quoting

Related species

Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica) growing in Sydney
Rubber Tree
Ficus elastica
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
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 John Robert McPherson via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick facts

Botanical name
Ficus benjamina
Also known as
Benjamin Fig
Family
Moraceae
Origin
Asia and Australia’s tropical north
Mature height
10m to 20m
Canopy spread
15m to 25m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Evergreen, small, glossy, pointed
Typical lifespan
100 years plus
Root habit
Extremely aggressive, often aerial
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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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