Hawthorne, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Hawthorne's 'Trees, Shrubs and Plants' chapter (in Title 8, Health and Safety) makes it unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation - utilities included - to remove any tree, shrub, plant, or vegetation in or upon any street, park, boulevard, alley, or city property without a permit from the Director, defined as the director of parks and recreation. The same provision that prohibits unpermitted cutting and trimming also prohibits unpermitted removal, so taking out a parkway or park tree without authorization is a violation. The code further protects public trees by barring any person from cutting, breaking, injuring, defacing, disturbing, or harming a tree, shrub, or plant in a street, park, parkway, alley, or city property except as a city employee performing actual duties or pursuant to a permit. For trees located entirely on private property, Hawthorne's code does not establish a general heritage- or protected-tree removal permit the way some California cities do; private-tree removal is typically governed only where it intersects development standards, landscaping requirements imposed as a condition of a project, or the nuisance rules (for example, removing a tree that is dead, diseased, or hazardous). Where a tree was required to be planted or retained as part of an approved development or landscape plan, replacement may be required under that approval. Residents seeking removal of a city/parkway tree should route the request through the city's Community Services tree service request rather than removing the tree themselves.