Nature Strip Trees

If your nature strip does not have a tree, you can ask us to plant one for you. We will arrange for an appropriate tree to be planted during the planting season, which runs from late autumn to early spring.

The type of tree that is chosen for your nature strip will be based on the existing nature strips in your street, and what is deemed the most appropriate by our expert arborists.

No, you cannot plant your own tree on the nature strip. Under our Community Local Laws, it is illegal for you to plant your own trees, and you will need to obtain a Nature Strip Garden Permit to plant shrubs or other plants on the nature strip adjacent your property.

Council’s arborists select and plant the most appropriate trees in natures strips in accordance to set guidelines. We also aim to provide consistency of the type of trees planted along individual streets.

Council assesses and prunes every street tree over a two-year period. Our arborists check the health and sturdiness of the trees and where needed, prune the tree to ensure that it continues to grow properly and keep clear of power lines.

Pruning your nature strip tree without Council approval is illegal under Local Laws.

Find out when your nature strip tree will be pruned.

Trees play a crucial role in creating a healthy environment and contribute to the liveability of our suburbs. It takes many years for trees to grow to a point where they can provide maximum benefits, so our aim is to keep as many existing trees as possible.

We only remove a nature strip or park tree as a last resort, if it has been assessed by our trained tree professionals as posing a danger to the public and having faults that can’t be fixed.

We do not remove trees if they are reported as:

• causing hay fever - most hay fever is caused by very small pollen originating from tall grass that has flowered and is carried through the air by the wind
• dropping too many leaves or fruit
• being too large.

After we identify a tree for removal, we remove it as soon as possible based on the level of risk.

If you are concerned about a potentially dangerous nature strip tree, contact us.

It is natural for trees to lose leaves. Deciduous trees mainly drop leaves in autumn and flowers or fruit in spring/summer. Evergreens will have smaller drops throughout the year. On average both will drop the same amount of green litter.

Below are some useful tips on what you can do with the fallen leaves:

• Use them on garden beds as mulch or added to the compost.
• Blow the leaves onto your lawn before mowing. The mower will the collect the leaves as it cuts the grass.
• Put them into your food and garden waste bin. If you don’t have one, you can order one online for a small yearly fee.
• Drop off your green waste for free using your green waste disposal vouchers to Repurpose It – 480 Cooper Street, Epping.

You do not need to water newly planted nature strip trees, as Council is responsible for its maintenance for the first two years.

Once established, natures strip trees usually receive enough water from rainfall and the soil to keep them in good health.

However, you can still care for your tree by:

• not placing grass or mulch at the base of the tree trunk
• not pruning, removing or transplanting the tree
• not damaging the tree.