Tree Protection in Durham, NC (2026)
3 verified tree protection rules for Durham, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Heritage & Protected Trees
Durham does not designate individually named heritage trees, but its UDO protects large 'major specimen trees', evergreens 18 inches dbh or greater, deciduous canopy trees 12 inches or greater, and understory trees 8 inches or greater, with a development incentive: preserving one earns tree-coverage credit at one and one-half times the size of its protection zone under Sec. 8.3.5.
Durham Major Specimen Tree Protection Rules
Light RestrictionsDurham UDO Sec. 17.3 (Defined Terms) and Sec. 8.3.5, Major Specimen Trees
Specimen Tree, Major: Any evergreen canopy tree 18 inches dbh or greater, any deciduous canopy tree 12 inches dbh or greater and any understory tree (deciduous or evergreen) eight inches dbh or greater, except any tree listed as a nonnative invasive plant by the U.S. Forest Service or prohibited pursuant to the Landscape Manual for Durham, North Carolina, also referred to as the Landscape Manua...
Protected Tree Species
Durham's Unified Development Ordinance protects "major specimen trees" on development sites: evergreen canopy trees 18 inches dbh or larger, deciduous canopy trees 12 inches dbh or larger, and understory trees 8 inches dbh or larger. Preserving one earns a developer 1.5 times tree protection zone credit toward required tree coverage, but nonnative invasive species don't qualify.
Durham Major Specimen Tree Protection
Some RestrictionsDurham UDO § 8.3.5, Major Specimen Trees; § 17.3, Defined Terms
Specimen Tree, Major: Any evergreen canopy tree 18 inches dbh or greater, any deciduous canopy tree 12 inches dbh or greater and any understory tree (deciduous or evergreen) eight inches dbh or greater, except any tree listed as a nonnative invasive plant by the U.S. Forest Service or prohibited pursuant to the Landscape Manual for Durham, North Carolina... Major specimen trees that are saved a...
Parkway Planting
Where a Durham street's right-of-way is too narrow for trees, the city may plant them on an adjacent private lot under a temporary easement agreement with the owner's consent. The easement can't exceed 15 feet wide, and the city maintains those trees for up to five years under City Code § 26-223.
Durham Right-of-Way Tree Planting
Light RestrictionsDurham City Code § 26-223
Along any street where the existing right-of-way is not wide enough to accommodate trees, the city, with the consent of the owner of property adjacent to that street, may enter into a temporary easement agreement with the property owner to permit the city to plant trees within the easement. The easement shall abut the property line that divides the street right-of-way from private property. The...
Looking for Durham County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Durham city rules.
Tree Protection in Durham County →