Winter Haven, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Division 7's tree protection rules, Secs. 21-181 through 21-188, apply to all land in the City except six listed exemptions in Sec. 21-183(b), the biggest of which excuses single-family detached and duplex residential uses entirely, along with tree removal tied to utility work, removal of dead or diseased trees, and removal of species on the Florida Invasive Species Council's invasive list. For land that is not exempt, mainly commercial, multi-family and subdivision development, Sec. 21-184 makes it unlawful to remove, relocate or replace a covered tree without first getting a tree removal permit.

A 'protected tree' under Sec. 21-182 is any tree measuring between six and twenty-three inches DBH that is not a prohibited or invasive species, plus any single-trunk palm with at least eight feet of clear trunk; a 'specimen tree' is any qualifying tree of twenty-four inches DBH or more. Before a building permit issues, Sec. 21-185 requires a tree mitigation/removal plan showing every tree over six inches DBH, which trees will be kept or removed, and mitigation calculations. Removed protected trees must be replaced on a one-to-one DBH basis and removed specimen trees on a one-and-a-half-to-one basis, with preservation credits available for trees kept in place.

During construction, protected trees need a minimum ten-foot protection fence around the trunk and specimen trees a fifteen-foot fence, with signage reading 'TREE PROTECTION ZONE: KEEP OUT' posted at least every three hundred linear feet, and no grading, parking or material storage allowed inside the fenced zone. No tree removal permit issues until the City has inspected and approved the protection fencing and signage.