Tree Protection in Miami, FL (2026)
3 verified tree protection rules for Miami, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Heritage & Protected Trees
Miami singles out "specimen trees", 18 inches DBH or larger, for extra protection: the city can require project redesigns, on- or off-site relocation, or costly replacement before one may be removed.
Miami Specimen Tree Protection Rules
Significant RestrictionsMiami Code of Ordinances § 17-5(b)(1)
The applicant may be required to redesign the project to preserve specimen tree(s) or any other tree determined by the department to be of substantial value because of its species, size, age, form and/or historical significance, and to provide an alternate plan that includes the adequate preservation of said tree(s) and design alterations within the scope and intent of the initially proposed plan.
Protected Tree Species
Miami classifies any tree 18 inches DBH or larger as a protected "specimen tree," forcing applicants to try redesigning around it or relocating it before the city will approve removal.
Miami Specimen Trees: 18-Inch DBH Rule
Some RestrictionsMiami Code of Ordinances § 17-2
Specimen tree: A tree that is equal to or larger than 18 inches DBH. Trees that do not qualify as specimen trees are palms, non-native Ficus species, or any non-native fruit tree cultivated as a grove tree for commercial production of fruit. Spiking: A form of tree abuse in which there is the hammering or affixing of metal or other material into a tree to harm the tree or lower its commercia...
Parkway Planting
Miami 21 sets minimum size, spacing, and placement rules for street trees planted in the public swale along every roadway in the city.
Miami Street Tree Planting Standards
Some RestrictionsMiami 21 Code § 9.5.3
Street trees shall be of a species typically grown in Miami-Dade County which normally mature to a height of at least twenty (20) feet. Street trees shall have a clear trunk of four (4) feet, an overall height of fifteen (15) feet and a minimum caliper of three (3) inches at time of planting, and shall be provided along all roadways at a maximum average spacing of thirty (30) feet on center, ex...
Looking for Miami-Dade County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Miami city rules.
Tree Protection in Miami-Dade County →