Tree Planting Lists

Urban Bushland Areas

Properties vary from plot to street to suburb and when selecting a tree species ideal for your needs you should also consider your site requirements.

Ryde is home to a number of native vegetation communities - three of which are on the brink of extinction (Blue Gum High Forest, Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest and Coastal Saltmarsh - Estuarine Complex). By selecting the right trees, shrubs and ground covers indigenous to your area, you will be helping to preserve and regenerate our rare and valuable ecological communities.

The tree lists below include native trees endemic to Ryde, a variety of Australian natives, and exotic trees. They are suggestions only and you are advised to seek the input of a professional who will be able to take into account your specific site and requirements.

If you would like to read more about the native plants of Ryde go to our Native Vegetation page.

Key for Size (tree height range):

S - up to 6m
M - 7m to 12m
L - 12m or more

Natives - Local Endemic Species

Common Name	Botanical Name	Size	Feature/Use
Bangalay	Eucalyptus botryoides	M	Endemic species
Blackbutt	Eucalyptus pilularis	L	Endemic species smooth and woody trunk
Black Wattle	Callicoma serratifolia	S	Ideal for drainage lines, attractive leaves
Blueberry Ash	Elaeocarpus reticulatus	S	Delicate leaves, feature flowers
Broad-leaf Ironbark	Eucaplyptus fibrosa	L	Habitat for birds, mammals, insects
Cheese Tree	Glochidion ferdinandi	M	Fruit pumpkin shaped, food source for birds
Coachwood	Ceratopetalum apetalum	L	Day roost habitat for powerful owl
Coast Banksia	Banksia integrifolia	S	Bird attracting, food source for birds
Dwarf Apple	Angophora hispida	S	Showy flowers, bird attracting
Forest Red Gum	Eucalyptus tereticornis	L	Good for nectar eating fauna / habitat
Forest She Oak	Allocasuarina torulosa	S	Soft foliage, feature bark
Grey Gum	Eucalyptus punctata	M	Specimen, feature bark
Grey Ironbark	Eucalyptus paniculata	M	Showy, bird attracting
Lightwood	Acacia implexa	M	Good for nectar eating fauna
Narrow-leaved Apple	Angophora bakeri	S	Endemic species, interesting form, showy flowers
NSW Christmas Bush	Ceratopetalum gummiferum	S	Good for nectar eating fauna, fruit for birds
Old Man Banksia	Banksia serrata	S	Gnarly trunk, bird attracting
Red Bloodwood	Corymbia gummifera	M	Good for nectar eating fauna / habitat
Red Mahogany	Eucalyptus resinifera	L	Canopy tree
Rough-barked Apple	Angophora floribuna	L	Showy flowers
Scribbly Gum	Eucalyptus haemastoma	M	Specimen, smooth pale trunk with scribbles
Sickle Wattle	Acacia falcata	S	Good soil stabiliser
Smooth- Barked Apple	Angophora costata	L	Smooth pink trunk, showy flowers
Spotted Gum	Corymbia maculata	L	Specimen, interesting very straight 'spotted' trunk
Sweet Pittosporum	Pittosporum undulatum	S	Fire retarding, screen
Sydney Blue Gum	Eucalyptus saligna	L	Endemic species with smooth and woody trunk
Sydney Peppermint	Eucalyptus piperita	L	Good for nectar eating fauna / habitat
Thin-leaf Stringybark	Eucalyptus eugenioides	L	Good for nectar eating fauna
Turpentine	Syncarpia glomulifera	L	UFO shaped fruit
Water Gum	Tristaniopsis laurina	S	Screening, hardy endemic
White Feather Honey Myrtle	Melaleuca decora	S	Tolerates wetter ground
White Mahogany	Ecualyptus acmenoides	L	Good for nectar eating fauna, greater Glider habitat
White Stringybark	Eucalyptus globoidea	L	Bark often has a criss-crossed appearance towards the base of the tree
Willow Bottlebrush	Callistemon salignus	M	Good tree in damp location
Woody Pear	Xylomelum pyriforme	S	Decorative flowers and fruit
Yellow Pittosporum	Pittosporum revolutum	S	Highly showy flowers

Natives (Australia Wide)

Common Name	Botanical Name	Size	Feature/Use
Australian Red Cedar	Toona ciliata	M	Excellent shade tree, deciduous
Brown Beech	Cryptocarya glaucescens	M	Scented, leathery foliage
Brush Box	Lophostemon confertus	M	Drought tolerant, hardy
Cabbage Palm	Livistonia australis	M	Grows best in damp sheltered areas
Coast Myall	Acacia binervia	M	Grey foliage, yellow flowers
Cook Pine	Araucaria columnaris	L	Curvature of the trunk
Eumundi Quandong	Elaeocarpus eumundi	S	Feature leaves
Grey Myrtle	Backhousia myrtifolia	S	Small rainforest margin tree
Guioa	Guioa semiglauca	S	Rainforest tree
Hoop Pine	Araucaria cunninghamiana	L	Rough bark in horizontal bands
Illawarra Flame Tree	Brachychiton acerifolius	M	Attractive crimson flowers, deciduous
Ivory Curl Tree	Buckinghamia celsissima	S	Shade, flowers
Kauri Pine	Agathis robusta	L	Smooth, scaly bark
Kurrajong	Brachychiton populneus	M	Attractive lobed leaves, drought tolerant
Lemon-scented Myrtle	Backhousia citriodora	S	Scented leaves, bush food, screening, shade
Native Fangipani	Hymenosporum flavum	S	Highly scented flowers
Norfolk Island Pine	Araucaria heterophylla	L	Salt and wind tolerant
Pink Flowered Ironbark	Eucalyptus sideroxylon 'Rosea'	M	Specimen showy pink flowers, bird attracting
Port Jackson Fig	Ficus rubiginosa	L	Bird attracting, shade tree
Prickly Paperbark	Melaleuca styphelioides	M	Pollution tolerant
Queensland Firewheel	Stenocarpus sinuatus	M	Red flowers in circular formation
Red Bloodwood	Corymbia gummifera	M	Specimen, red tessellated bark
Red Flowering Gum	Corymbia ficifolia	S	Specimen, showy flowers
Small Leaved Lilly Pilly	Syzigium leuhmannii	S	Pink new growth, edible fruit
Snow In Summer	Melaleuca linarifolia	S	Creamy white flowers
Spotted Gum	Corymbia maculata	L	Specimen, interesting very straight 'spotted' trunk
Swamp Mahogany	Eucalyptus robusta	L	Spongy bark
Tree Waratah	Alloxylon flammeum	M	Bright red inflorescence
Tuckeroo	Cupaniopsis anarcardiodes	M	Bird attracting
Tulipwood	Harpullia pendula	S	Fast growing, red seed pods
Water Gum	Tristaniopsis laurina	S	Screening, hardy
Weeping Bottle Brush	Callistemon viminalis	S	Showy flowers, native animals
Weeping Lilly Pilly	Waterhousea floribunda	L	Wavy edged foliage
Weeping Paperbark	Melaleuca leucadendra	M	Tolerates damp locations
White Feather Honey Myrtle	Melaleuca decora	S	Tolerates wetter ground
Willow Peppermint	Agonis flexuosa	M	Weeping habit, white flowers
Yellow Bloodwood	Corymbia eximia	M	Specimen, yellow tessellated bark
Yellow Pittosporum	Pittosporum revolutum	S	Highly showy white flowers

Exotic (non-native) Trees

These exotics provide foliage and colour.

Common Name	Botanical Name	Size	Feature/Use	Habit
Bay Laurel	Lauris nobilis	S	Leaves used in cooking	Evergreen
Bull Bay Magnolia	Magnolia grandiflora	S	Large striking specimen	Evergreen
Cape Chestnut	Calodendrum capense	S	Showy flowers	Deciduous
Chinese Elm	Ulmus parvifolia	S	Shade, weeping foliage	Deciduous
Chinese Pistachio	Pistacia chinensis	S	Autumn colour	Deciduous
Claret Ash	Fraxinus angustifolia 'Raywood'	M	Beautiful Autumn foliage	Deciduous
Cork Oak	Quercus suber	M	Slow growing, bark used for wine corks	Evergreen
Crabapple	Malus floribunda	S	Spring flowering	Deciduous
Cut-leaf Oriental Plane	Platanus orientalis var digitala	M	Large striking specimen	Deciduous
Dawn Redwood	Metasequoia glyptostroboides	L	Bright green foliage turning reddish brown in Autumn	Deciduous
Deodora Cedar	Cedrus deodara	M	Blue green, needle like foliage	Evergreen
Evergreen Ash	Fraxinus griffithii	S	Decorative white flowers in Spring	Evergreen
Evergreen Oak	Quercus ilex	M	Leaves resemble holly	Evergreen
Golden Ash	Fraxinus excelsior 'Aurea'	S	Autumn colour, shade	Deciduous
Golden Elm	Ulmus glabra 'Lutescens'	M	Foliage feature	Deciduous
Leopard	Caesalpinia ferrea	M	Feature bark	Deciduous
Maidenhair Tree	Ginkgo biloba	S	'Living fossil', leaf shape	Deciduous
Manchurian Pear	Pyrus sp.	S	Autumn colour, blossoms	Deciduous
Maple	Acer platanoides 'Crimson Sentry'	S	Purple foliage	Deciduous
Peppercorn	Schinus areira	M	Pink fruit	Deciduous
Pepper/Peppercorn Tree	Schinus molle	S	Scented foliage, weeping habit	Deciduous
Pin Oak	Quercus palustris	M	Autumn colour	Deciduous
Red Maple	Acer rubrum 'October Glory'	M	Adaptable, brilliant red autumn colour	Deciduous
Silver Birch	Betula pendula	M	White trunk, pendulous branches	Deciduous
Strawberry Tree	Arbutus unedo	S	White flowers, red strawberry shaped fruit	Evergreen
Tulip Tree	Liriodendron tulipifera	M	Fragrant greenish, yellow flowers, late Spring	Deciduous
Tupelo	Nyssa sylvatica	M	Autumn leaf colour contrast with dark bark	Deciduous
White Ash	Fraxinus americana	L	Yellow, orange and bronze autumn colour	Deciduous
Zelkova	Zelkova serrata 'Mushashino'	M	Vase shaped, upright	Deciduous

More Information

If you would like to find out if your property is within an Endangered Ecological Community contact Council's Customer Service on 9952 8222.