Davidson County, NC Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

7(K), titled 'Obstructions,' states plainly that landscaping shall not be placed to obstruct the view of motorists using any street, driveway, or parking aisle, tying tree and shrub placement directly to sightline safety at intersections, driveway aprons, and parking lot entrances. 7 (Standards for Landscaping and Screening) also governs how required trees must be maintained once planted: subsection (O)(7) requires all required trees to be allowed to reach, and be maintained at, their mature size, with trimming and pruning done in strict accordance with American National Standards Institute standards.

Topping, defined by the ordinance as reducing a tree's size using heading cuts that shorten limbs or branches back to a predetermined crown limit, is explicitly not an acceptable pruning practice. If a required tree is topped or excessively trimmed, the Zoning Administrator may require the owner to remove and replace it, at the owner's cost, rather than simply flagging the trim as a paperwork violation. Together the two subsections mean a property owner maintaining required landscaping near a street or drive must keep growth clear of sightlines while pruning it correctly, not by hacking it back below its designed mature form.