In all circumstances, discuss tree and plant selection with us prior to submitting your landscape designs as approval is at the discretion of the Council. In some situations, the plants listed below may be considered appropriate to plant.
Botanic name (common name) |
Reason | Street planting | Park planting | Waterway/ Riverbank planting |
Acacia spp (wattle) |
Structural failure | No | No | No |
Acer negundo (box elder) |
Structural failure | No | Yes | No |
Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Aesculus hippocastanum (horse chestnut) |
Nuts | No | Yes | No |
Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Alnus glutinosa (alder) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Agonis spp (myrtle) |
Structural failure, maintenance requirements | No | Yes | No |
Banksia integrifolia (banksia) |
Structural failure | No | Yes | No |
Betula pendula (silver birch) |
Seed fall, weed species | No | No | No |
Casuarina glauca (Swamp she-oak) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Chamaecyparis cupressocyparis vars | Maintenance requirements, debris | No | Yes | No |
Cupressus macrocarpa (Monterey cypress) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Cupressus (cypress) |
Maintenance requirements, debris, canker | No | Yes | No |
Eucalyptus spp (eucalyptus) |
Structural failure | No | Yes | No |
Feijoa spp (feijoa) |
Maintenance requirements, debris | No | Yes | No |
Fraxinus oxycarpa var ‘Raywoodii’ (claret ash) |
Structural failure | No | Yes | No |
Fraxinus syriaca (syrian ash) |
Structural failure | No | Yes | No |
Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust) |
Structural failure | No | Yes | No |
Ginkgo biloba (female) (maidenhair tree) |
Fruit | No | Yes | No |
Ilex aquifolium (English holly) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Juglans regia (common walnut) |
Debris | No | Yes | No |
Liquidambar styraciflua (sweetgum) |
Structural failure | No | Yes | No |
Malus spp (crab apple) |
Maintenance requirements, debris | No | Yes | No |
Maytenus boaria (mayten tree) |
Weed species, suckers | No | No | No |
Melia azedarach (melia) |
Destructive roots, debris | No | Yes | No |
Paulownia tomentosa (epaulette tree) |
Structural failure | No | Yes | No |
Phoenix canariensis (phoenix palm) |
Poisonous fronds, attracts wasps and rodents, maintenance requirements, weed species | No | No | No |
Pinus spp (pine) |
Structural failure, debris | No | Yes | No |
Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Pinus contorta (Lodgepole pine) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Pinus nigra (Black pine ) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Populus spp (poplar) |
Structural failure | No | Yes | No |
Prunus spp (cherry) |
Disease, invasive roots, epicormic growth, decay | No | No | No |
Pseudosuga mensiesii (Douglas fir) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Pyrus calleryana (callery pear) |
Poor growth habit | No | Yes | No |
Quercus palustris (pin oak) |
Over-represented | No | No | No |
Racosperma spp (wattle) |
Weed species, structural failure | No | No | No |
Rhus toxicodendron (Rhus or sumac) |
Health associations | No | No | No |
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) |
Structural failure, thorns, weed species | No | No | No |
Salix spp (willow) |
Weed species, structural failure | No | Yes | No |
Sorbus aucuparia (rowan tree) |
Weed species, Decay | No | No | No |
Taxus baccata (English yew) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Trachycarpus fortunei (Chusan palm) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Ulmus spp (elm) |
Dutch Elm Disease | No | No | No |
Zelkova spp (zelkova) |
Dutch Elm Disease | No | No | No |
Botanic name (common name) |
Reason | Street planting | Park planting | Waterway/ Riverbank planting |
Arthropodium cirrhatum (reinga lily) |
Frost Damage | No | Yes | Yes |
Buddleja davidii (buddleia) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Callistemon spp (bottlebrush) |
Maintenance requirements | No | Yes | No |
Camellia spp (camellia) |
Maintenance requirements | No | Yes | No |
Chaenomeles japonica (Japanese quince) |
Suckers | No | No | No |
Cotoneaster spp (cotoneaster) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Erica arboria (erica) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Euonymus europaeus (spindle tree) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Fatsia japonica (japanese aralia) |
Weed species, attracts wasps, maintenance requirements | No | Yes | No |
Hoheria sexstylosa (lacebark) |
Unsightly galls | No | Yes | Yes |
Hoheria populnea (lacebark) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Juniperus communis ‘Depressa’ | Weed species | No | No | No |
Nerium oleander (oleander) |
Poisonous, collects rubbish, maintenance requirements | No | No | No |
Phormium tenax (harakeke) |
Too large for street gardens, collect rubbish, maintenance requirements | No | Yes | Yes |
Prunus laurocerasus (Cherry laurel) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Pyracantha (pyracantha) |
Fireblight | No | Yes | No |
Rhamnus alaternus (Italian buckthorn) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Sambucus nigra (elderberry) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Stransvaesia photinia davidiana | Fireblight | No | No | No |
Syringa vulgaris (Common lilac) |
Suckers | No | No | No |
Vibernum davidii (David vibernum) |
Disease | No | No | No |
Vibernum tinus (Lauristinus vibernum) |
Disease | No | No | No |
Botanic name (common name) |
Reason | Street planting | Park planting | Waterway/ Riverbank planting |
Anemanthele lessoniana (wind grass) |
Weed species, tripping hazard | No | Yes | Yes |
Argyranthemum frutescens (paris daisy) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Carex jalagellifera (carex) |
Weed species, tripping hazard | No | Yes | Yes |
Hedera helix (ivy) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Lobularia maritima (sweet allysum) |
Weed species | No | No | No |
Poa cita | Tripping hazard | No | Yes | Yes |
The above list is under continuous development. Any planting on Council land or land that will be vested to Council must be approved by a Council arborist or landscape architect.
All planting must comply with the relevant IDS and CSS standards
I additional to the above, do not plant any tree or plant listed in the National Pest Plant Accord, Canterbury Regional Pest Management Strategy 2005-2015 plus subsequent amendments. There may be other trees and plants (such as dwarf flax) which are not acceptable to Council and that are not listed above.
Some woody shrub species, such as Pittosporum spp, Dodonaea viscosa, Leptospermum scoparium, Kunzea robusta, Myoporum laetum, Hoheria spp or trees such as Cordyline australis are not acceptable as specimen trees but may be used as garden shrubs. There may be some Prunus species acceptable to Council, such as those species less susceptible to silver leaf disease.