Alexandria, VA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

City Code Sec. 6-2-21 puts the trimming duty squarely on the person growing or permitting growth of a tree, shrub, plant or other vegetation on private property that abuts or is near public property: it must be kept trimmed so it does not interfere with, endanger or create a hazard for a public street or highway, a vehicle or person on it, a public sidewalk or person on it, or any other public property. This is a General Code provision (Title 6, Chapter 2, Article B), distinct from the separate Zoning Ordinance's dimensional standards.

When city staff spot a violation, Sec. 6-2-22 requires the City Manager to serve the owner, operator or occupant with written notice describing the violation, the corrective measures needed, and a compliance deadline of not less than 7 days and not more than 30 days, scaled to the hazard involved. Notice can be served personally or by registered mail to the owner's last known address.

If the deadline passes with no appeal and no compliance, Sec. 6-2-23 lets the Director of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities (or an authorized representative) send a crew to trim or prune the offending vegetation directly, and that city action does not bar separate criminal prosecution for the violation. Separately, Sec. 6-2-24 lets the director skip the notice-and-wait process entirely for vegetation that is an immediate and serious danger to a public street, sidewalk or the traveling public: it is declared a public nuisance on the spot and may be trimmed or removed immediately, though the director must still try to give the responsible party at least four hours' notice first.