Asheville, NC Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Under Sec. 20-24 of the Code of Ordinances, any trees, shrubbery, flowers, bushes, or vines standing on private land next to city property must be maintained by the property owner so that branches, limbs, trunks, or other parts do not project onto city property and interfere with the free and safe passage of pedestrians and vehicles along the right-of-way. This duty falls on whoever owns the land the growth is rooted on, not the city, even though the obstruction occurs in the public right-of-way.

If an owner lets growth encroach and does not correct it, the public works director may issue a written removal order. The owner then has 30 days to act. If nothing happens within that window, the director can send a crew onto the private property to cut back the growth and bill the owner for the actual cost of the work. In situations the director deems an imminent threat to public health, safety, or welfare, the city can skip the notice step entirely and act immediately.

A related but separate rule, Sec. 20-21, governs trees rooted in the right-of-way itself: no one may cut, prune, remove, or plant a tree with its trunk on city property without a written permit from the public works director. Violations of Chapter 20 generally, including the enforcement scheme in Sec. 20-53, carry a civil penalty starting at $100.00, with each day of a continuing violation counted as a separate offense; the appeals board sets the exact amount, considering compliance cost, savings from noncompliance, and replacement cost of any tree involved.