Taylor, MI Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section 20-124 of Chapter 20, Article III governs where trees and shrubs can grow near Taylor's streets and what clearance overhanging branches must keep. Subsection (a) bars planting any tree within 20 feet of the nearest street line at an intersection of two or more highways, and it caps any shrub planted inside that 20-foot zone at two feet above the curb, so sightlines at intersections stay open. Subsection (b) governs the greenbelt between the sidewalk and the curb: no tree can go closer than three feet to either the curb or the sidewalk line, though where the greenbelt itself is narrow, between four and six feet wide, a tree may be planted midway between the two.

Subsection (c) covers trimming and maintenance rather than planting. It is unlawful to maintain any tree or shrub overhanging a Taylor street or highway unless the owner keeps it clear of two things: streetlamp light and the view of any intersection cannot be obstructed by branches, and every branch must be maintained at least seven feet above any sidewalk surface and at least 13 feet above any highway surface. Those clearance heights apply to any tree or shrub whose canopy reaches over the public right-of-way, regardless of whether the trunk itself sits on private property or in the city's own planting strip, and the duty to keep the tree trimmed to those heights falls on whoever maintains it.