Adopt a tree program

Let's grow a greener Banyule together.

We are planting thousands of trees across our city to boost canopy cover and keep our neighbourhoods cool, and we need your help to grow more trees on private land.

Our Adopt a Tree Program helps residents to plant semi-established trees at home, boosting canopy cover and enhancing our urban forest.

Each winter, we release the list of available species for adoption. Residents can register, choose the tree that best suits their property, and collect it the following autumn ... the ideal time for planting.

Benefits of tree adoption

By planting a canopy tree on your property, you will be:

  • helping to create cooler streets
  • leaving a legacy for our community
  • enhancing your own garden
  • creating environments for local wildlife.

Tree species

All species will be supplied as semi-established trees in 15–25cm pots, giving them the best start in their new home.

We review the species list each year, so it may change from one year to the next. Future programs may include new species as well as some returning favourites.

Expand the options to learn more about the 5 species offered in 2026-2027 and to adopt your preferred tree.

Melbourne Yellow Gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp. connata)

Characteristics

Typical height: 10-12m

Typical width: 7-10m

Origin: Indigenous (locally native) to Banyule and once thrived in open forests and grassy woodlands. Excellent examples of this species can be seen at Harry Pottage Reserve in Macleod and Studley Park in Kew.

Request a Melbourne Yellow Gum

Melbourne Yellow Gum

Description

Melbourne Yellow Gum is a fast-growing large evergreen tree with a rounded, spreading crown, perfect for medium to large gardens. It produces cream to white flowers from May to September and is very adaptable – it can handle most soils, temporary flooding, and drought tolerant once established.

Adopt this tree if you want to plant a local indigenous species and support local birds and insects.

Good to know

An excellent tree for larger gardens, offering shade and shelter. It is great for honey production – if you have ambitions to become a beekeeper – and it attracts abundant native birds. Plant it in a sunny, open spot for best results.

This tree's hard, durable timber has long been valued by First Nations people. Its conservation status is endangered, making every planting important for protecting the species.

Large Fruited Yellow Gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp. megalocarpa)

Characteristics

Typical height: 5-11m

Typical width: 5-8m

Origin: Native to South-Eastern Australia, with its natural distribution in South Australia and Victoria.

Request a Large Fruited Yellow Gum

Large Fruited Yellow Gum

Description

Large Fruited Yellow Gum is a striking medium evergreen tree, perfect for adding colour and character in medium to large gardens. Its broad, bluish foliage creates a soft, silvery canopy, while large, showy blossoms in shades of pink, red or cream appear from late autumn through spring. These nectar-rich flowers are a magnet for birds, especially honeyeaters.

Adopt this tree if you are after a generous floral display that also provides an important food source for native birds and pollinators.

Good to know

Once established, The Large Fruited Yellow Gum is drought-tolerant, though young trees appreciate a little extra water during their first summers.

Plant in a sunny, open position with well-drained soil. A light prune after flowering helps maintain shape, and a spring feed will support healthy growth.

Pink Blueberry Ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus)

Characteristics

Typical height: 4-8m

Typical width: 2-4m

Origin: Australian native cultivar, the Pink Blueberry Ash is native to eastern Australia and is naturally occurring from Queensland to Victoria.

Request a Pink Blueberry Ash

Pink Blueberry Ash

Description

Elaeocarpus reticulatus ‘Pink’, is a cultivar of the native Blueberry Ash. It is a small evergreen tree ideal for small to medium gardens, producing distinctive pink, fringed, bell-shaped flowers in spring/early summer, followed by blue, berry-like fruits.

Its glossy dark green foliage is complemented by bronze new growth, adding seasonal colour and contrast. The dense evergreen canopy, along with its flowers and berries, provides valuable habitat for birds, insect and small wildlife.

Adopt this tree if you want a compact native feature tree that offers year-round beauty and supports local wildlife.

Good to know

This is great feature tree, a narrow screen, or a graceful addition to mixed native plantings. Plant in full sun to part shade and in well‑drained soil. Once established, it is low‑maintenance and moderately drought‑tolerant, though young plants benefit from extra water during dry periods.

Its naturally dense, bushy growth from the base, makes it an excellent choice for hedging or screening.

Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha )

Characteristics

Typical height: 3-10m

Typical width: 2-5m

Origin: Indigenous (locally native) to Banyule and once widespread across open forests and grassy woodlands of south-eastern Australia, its natural range occurring in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

Request a Golden Wattle

Golden Wattle

Description

Golden Wattle is a fast‑growing, small evergreen tree with a naturally rounded form and an ideal tree for smaller to medium gardens. It produces spectacular, bright golden flower clusters from late winter into early spring, creating one of Australia’s most iconic seasonal displays.

Hardy and adaptable, it thrives in well‑drained soils, tolerates drought once established and performs well in full sun.

Adopt this tree if you want to grow a local indigenous species that supports native birds, insects and pollinators.

Good to know

Golden Wattle is great as a feature tree or as a screening tree, providing habitat, shelter and seasonal colour. Plant it in a sunny, open position for best flowering.

This species holds deep cultural significance as Australia’s national floral emblem. Its bark and gum have long been valued by First Nations people for practical uses.

Although widespread in cultivation, local remnant populations are important to protect, making every indigenous planting valuable for maintaining regional biodiversity.

Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba)

Characteristics

Typical height: 10-12m

Typical width: 4-5m

Origin: Originates from China where it survived in a few remote mountain areas after disappearing from the wild elsewhere. It has been cultivated for centuries and is now planted globally.

Request a Maidenhair Tree

Maidenhair Tree

Description

The Maidenhair Tree is a long-lived medium to large deciduous tree valued for its distinctive fan‑shaped leaves, which turn a brilliant yellow in autumn, before falling.

It has an upright form when young, becoming broader and more spreading with age. Highly resilient, it tolerates a wide range of soils, urban conditions and air pollution, making it well suited to streetscapes, parks and larger gardens.

Adopt this tree if you want a striking, long‑lived deciduous tree that brings spectacular autumn colour and thrives in tough urban conditions.

Good to know

With its slow growth and strong form, this tree is ideal as a feature planting or as a structural element in contemporary gardens. It is exceptionally hardy and low‑maintenance once established. Plant it in full sun and well‑drained soil for the best autumn display.

Often described as a living fossil, this tree is the last surviving member of an ancient plant lineage dating back more than 200 million years. It holds deep cultural significance in East Asia, symbolising resilience, longevity, peace and is commonly planted around temples and historic sites.

Contact

Contact the Urban Forestry Team on 9490 4222 or at enquiries@banyule.vic.gov.au