Garland's Tree Protection: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles tree protection a little differently. In Garland, Texas, there are 2 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Parkway Planting

Garland's Downtown District requires street trees as the primary streetscape landscaping under GDC § 7.17. Approved species must come from the Street Tree List in Table 7-6, planted 25 feet on center along each block face, at least 3-inch caliper, single-trunk, and limbed to keep 8 feet of clearance over sidewalks and 14 feet over travel lanes.

Key details: Spacing: 25 feet on center along each block face. Minimum caliper: 3 inches at time of planting. Clearance over sidewalks: 8 feet minimum. Clearance over travel lanes: 14 feet minimum. Tree well size: 6 feet by 8 feet (standard).

Street tree installation is enforced through the Downtown Development Plan review process administered by the Planning Director; a plan that omits required street trees, uses wrong spacing, or undersized caliper stock is not approved, which blocks site plan and building permit sign-off. Substituting a species outside the Table 7-6 list without Downtown Development Plan approval is noncompliant, and damaged tree wells or irrigation zones can trigger a City correction notice tied to the development's landscaping approval.

Protected Tree Species

Garland's Development Code protects any tree of any species with at least a 6-inch diameter unless it falls on the Section 4.55(R) unprotected list. Certain high-value species, including American elm, cedar elm, pecan, all oak and walnut species, and persimmon, are further classified as Class 1 Trees once they reach an 18-inch diameter, triggering a 2:1 replacement ratio if removed.

Key details: Protected tree minimum size: 6-inch diameter, any species. Class 1 species examples: Elm, pecan, oak, walnut, ash. Class 1 diameter threshold: 18 inches minimum. Class 1 replacement ratio: 2 caliper inches per diameter inch. Class 3 replacement ratio: 0.5 caliper inch per diameter inch.

Misclassifying a protected species, or removing a Class 1 tree while reporting it as Class 2 or Class 3 on a Tree Management Plan, understates the mitigation owed and exposes the applicant to the same $250-per-diameter-inch civil penalty under Section 4.57(A) that applies to any unauthorized removal or injury of a protected tree, adjudicated through the City's Chapter 24 administrative enforcement process.

The Bottom Line

Garland's tree protection rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Garland is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Garland can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.