High Point, NC Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

High Point's landscaping standards (Development Ordinance § 5.5) apply to new principal buildings, changes in land-use intensity, and building or parking-lot expansions over 50 percent, but Section 5.5.3 exempts single-family detached and duplex dwellings outright, so this rule targets commercial, multifamily, and mixed-use development. Once required trees and shrubs are installed and inspected, Section 5.5.16.A bars removal or relocation without an approved revised landscape plan; approved removals must be replaced one-to-one. The Planning and Development Director may authorize removing a hazardous tree without prior plan approval. Removing required plant material without approval is a Chapter 9 enforcement violation, and Table 5.5.16.C sets mandatory replacement ratios that scale up to 4-to-1 for canopy trees 24 inches DBH or larger.