Local Arborists
Tree Care for Kew's Heritage Gardens
Kew is one of Melbourne's most verdant and historically significant suburbs. The Victorian mansions, Federation homes and established family residences along Cotham Road, Studley Park Road, Barkers Road and Sackville Street sit among mature canopy trees — English oaks, elms, claret ashes, liquid ambers and towering river red gums — that have shaped the streetscape for generations. The suburb's position adjacent to Studley Park and the Yarra River means many properties feature significant native tree cover as well.
Leafy Tree Care provides the full range of tree services across Kew, Kew East, and the established pockets around Willsmere and Kew Junction. Whether you're managing an overhanging limb near your heritage home, preparing an arborist report for a council application, or scheduling ongoing maintenance for established gardens, we bring the expertise the area demands.
Common Work in Kew
Typical Jobs We See in the Area
Kew jobs often involve careful heritage pruning of oaks and elms along Cotham Road and nearby streets, removal of ageing liquid ambers that have outgrown their urban setting, and specialist work on large gums bordering Studley Park. Arborist reports for planning applications on the suburb's larger blocks — particularly subdivisions or renovation projects — are a regular part of our work.
Common trees across Kew
- English oaks and elms in heritage front gardens
- Large river red gums and manna gums near Studley Park
- Plane trees along major streets like Cotham Road
- Liquid ambers, claret ashes and ornamental pears
- Mature magnolias and camellias in courtyard gardens
What We Do
Our Kew Services
- Tree RemovalSafe removal of dead, dangerous or unwanted trees of any size.
- Tree PruningCareful pruning for health, shape and hazard reduction.
- Heritage Tree CareSpecialist care for mature and significant trees.
- Stump GrindingComplete stump removal below ground level.
- Hedge TrimmingPrecise shaping for street appeal and plant health.
- Arborist ReportsCouncil-ready reports for permits and planning applications.
- Emergency RemovalRapid response for storm-damaged or hazardous trees.
- Cabling & BracingStructural support for valuable heritage specimens.
🏛️ Boroondara Council Permits — The Local Rules
Kew falls under the City of Boroondara, which enforces some of Melbourne's strictest tree protection rules.
Canopy trees with a trunk circumference of 110cm or more (measured 1.5m above ground) require a permit before removal or significant pruning.
Large areas of Kew are covered by Heritage Overlays (HO) — particularly around Studley Park Road, Sackville Street and parts of Cotham Road. Properties bordering the Yarra are typically covered by Environmental Significance Overlays (ESO) and Vegetation Protection Overlays (VPO), which can protect native trees regardless of size. Significant Landscape Overlays (SLO) also apply in pockets of Kew East.
We'll identify which overlays apply to your property, whether a permit is needed, and prepare the application on your behalf.
Why Locals Choose Us
Why Kew Residents Trust Leafy Tree Care
Kew has its own challenges. Narrow rear access behind period homes, mature heritage trees requiring specialist pruning techniques, and neighbours close enough that timing and noise matter — every job needs local knowledge. Our team has worked across the suburb's full range of properties, from the heritage estates off Studley Park Road to the compact family homes near Kew Junction.
We carry $20M in public liability insurance, hold current arboricultural qualifications, and provide detailed written quotes for every job. Full site clean-up is always included. And because we respond to enquiries within 30 minutes during business hours, you're never left wondering whether your job is on the schedule.