Palm Springs, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

00 of the Zoning Code sets property maintenance standards for "all properties in the city, including all areas between the extensions of side property lines to the centerline of adjacent streets," so the requirement reaches the parkway strip between sidewalk and curb, not just the fenced yard. Subsection 4 folds tree and shrub trimming into the broader landscaping-maintenance duty alongside lawns "watered and trimmed to a uniform height," flowers and ground covers kept "healthy and uniform in their appearance," bare-earth or gravel areas kept free of weeds, and plant materials on an approved landscape plan retained in their natural shape unless the plan says otherwise.

The same section requires irrigation systems to be maintained in an operative condition so trees and shrubs keep growing normally rather than dying back into brittle, low-clearance limbs. 00 is cross-referenced throughout the Zoning Code's district and specific-use standards, so it applies uniformly whether the parcel is single-family residential, multifamily, commercial, or even a golf course. It traces to Ordinance 1294 (1988) and was amended by Ordinance 1590 Section 17 (2000) and Ordinance 2042 Section 11 (2021), the same 2021 package that also touched the sign ordinance and outdoor lighting sections of the same chapter.

The standard sits beside, not instead of, other property upkeep duties: buildings must be free of loose roofing and peeling paint, and parking areas must be free of weeds, striped, and drained, so an inspection for one item commonly surfaces others.