Leaf Sizes for Different Trees

Leaves, petals and foliage come in different sizes.  

So does gutter mesh.  

That’s why you’ll hear us say again and again that it’s imperative you match your mesh to the size of the vegetation in your area. If you don’t, you risk choosing a mesh that will let leaves through and into your gutters. And that’s just as bad as having no mesh at all.  

Of course, unless you’re a botanist, chances are you aren’t intimately familiar with the size of the leaves on different trees and bushes.  

So to help you out, we’ve put together this article laying out the size of leaves, petals & foliage on a range of trees commonly found across Australia. 

Needles 

Needle-like leaves are 1mm or less in width. They vary considerable in length, but it’s their width that makes them a challenge when choosing the right gutter mesh for your property.  

2mm and 4mm aperture gutter mesh will keep out most needle-like leaves. However, some needles may get through the mesh. Additional maintenance is therefore required for properties with windblown needles or overhanging trees that drop needles.  

Common name	Botanical name	Problem part/s	Tree height	Evergreen / Deciduous	Image
Pine tree (a collective term)	Conifers / Pinus (cone-bearing plants)	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	3m+	E
Sheoak	Allocasuarina / Casuarina	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	8-18m	E
Bottlebrush	Callistemon	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	4-7m	E
Paperbark	Melaleuca quinquenervia	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	5-12m	E
Wattle	Acacia	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	4-5m	E
Heath banksia	Banksia ericifolia	Needle leaves, flower stamens	5m	E

Small Leaves 

Small leaves can be between 2mm and 20mm in width. Some grow up to 50mm in length.  

2mm aperture mesh is recommended to keep most small leaves out of your gutters and minimise the need for gutter maintenance.

Common name	Botanical name	Problem part/s	Tree height	Evergreen / Deciduous	Image
Poinciana	Poinciana delonix regia	Leaves, flower stamens	12m	D
Jacaranda	Jacaranda mimosifolia	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	15m+	D
Golden rain tree	Koelreuteria paniculata	Leaves, flowers	7m	D
Pride of Bolivia / Rosewood / Yellow jacaranda	Tipuana tipu	Leaves, flowers	30m	D
Black peppermint / Peppermint willow	Eucalyptus nicholii	Leaves, flower stamens	15m	E
Mock orange / Orange jessamine	Murraya paniculata	Leaves, flowers	3m+	E
Small leafed figs	Ficus obliqua	Leaves, berries	10-30m	E
Golden shower tree	Cassia fistula	Leaves, flowers	5m+	E
Hairpin banksia	Banksia spinulosa	Leaves, flower stamens	3m+	E
Paperbark / Cajeput tree	Melaleuca leucadendron	Leaves, flowers	10m+	E
Teatree	Leptospermum	Leaves, flower stamens	3m+	E
Weeping fig / Benjamin fig	Ficus benjamina	Leaves, seeds	20m+	E

Medium Leaves 

Medium leaves are 20mm to 50mm wide. They may grow from 50mm to 120mm in length. Gutter mesh with a 2mm or 4mm aperture is ideal for keeping most medium leaves out of your gutters so you can significantly reduce gutter maintenance.  

Common name	Botanical name	Problem part/s	Tree height	Evergreen / Deciduous	Image
Tulipwood	Harpullia pendula	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	8m	E
Hill fig / Weeping fig	Ficus hillii	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	15m+	E
Queensland blue gum	Eucalyptus tereticornis	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	25m+	E
Lemon scented myrtle	Backhousia citriodora	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	6m	E
White oak / Brown silky oak	Grevillea baileyana	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	10m	E
Coast banksia	Banksia integrifolia	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	25m+	E
Trumpet tree	Tabebuia	Leaves, flowers	6m-8m	E
Silky oak	Grevillea robusta	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	14m	E

Large Leaves 

With widths of 70mm to 150mm, large leaves can grow up to 450mm in length – and sometimes even more. Gutter mesh with a 2mm, 4mm or 5.4mm aperture is all appropriate for keeping most large leaves out of your gutters.  

Common name	Botanical name	Problem part/s	Tree height	Evergreen / Deciduous	Image
Maple / Japanese maple	Acer palmatum / Acer japonicum	Leaves	6m+	E
Port Jackson fig / Rusty fig	Ficus rubiginosa	Leaves, berries	30m	E
Alexander palm	Archontophoenix alexandrae	Leaves, seeds, flowers	15m+	E
Bangalow palm	Archontophoenix cunninghamiana	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	20m+	E
Brush box	Lophostemon confertus	Leaflets, seeds, flowers	10m-20m	E
Magnolia little gem	Magnolia grandiflora	Leaves	4m+	E
Sweet viburnum	Viburnum odoratissimum	Leaves, flowers	4m+	E