Daytona Beach, FL Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Historic tree threshold
- 36 inches DBH, live oak or bald cypress
- Healthy tree removal
- City Commission approval required
- Diseased/dying tree removal
- City staff approval, appealable
- Specimen tree retention (low density)
- 80% preserved after development
- Specimen tree retention (high density)
- 4 trees per acre minimum
Summary
Daytona Beach protects live oaks and bald cypress 36 inches or more in diameter as historic trees, requiring them to stay inside a tree protection zone and City Commission approval before a healthy one can ever be removed, under Land Development Code Section 6.15.A.7.
7.Protection of Historic Trees.a.Historic Trees Defined. For the purposes of this Code, a "historic tree" is defined as:i.An existing live oak (Quercus virginiana) or a bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) with a DBH of 36 inches or greater; orii.An existing tree of any species with a DBH of 36 inches or greater that the City Commission determines to be of unique and intrinsic value to the general public because of its size, age, historic association, or ecological value; oriii.Any existing "champion tree" selected and duly designated at the State, national, or world level by the American Forestry Association.b.Protection Required. Except where allowed in subparagraph [c] below, all historic trees subject to this section shall be retained, during and after development, within a tree protection zone established in accordance with Section 6.15.A.8 Tree Protection Zone.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 78 | Land Development Code: Supplement 36).
Full Breakdown
7 of the Land Development Code defines a historic tree as an existing live oak or bald cypress with a diameter at breast height of 36 inches or greater, any tree of any species at that same 36-inch DBH that the City Commission determines has unique and intrinsic value for its size, age, historic association, or ecological value, or any tree formally designated a champion tree at the state, national, or world level by the American Forestry Association. 8. 9 replacement standards. City staff, rather than the Commission, can approve removal of a severely diseased, high-risk, damaged, or dying historic tree certified by an arborist, and that staff decision can be appealed to the City Commission; removing a tree in that damaged or dying condition does not require mitigation. 1 per acre.
Violations & Fines
Damaging or removing a historic tree without the required City Commission approval, or outside the narrow staff-approval path for diseased or dying trees, triggers the Section 6.15.A.9 replacement standards, requiring a restoration plan within two weeks of a stop-work notice and two caliper inches of replacement trees for every caliper inch of historic or specimen tree removed or damaged. A City staff decision approving removal of a diseased, damaged, or dying historic tree can be appealed to the City Commission by any affected party.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size tree is protected as a historic tree in Daytona Beach?
Can I remove a healthy historic tree in Daytona Beach?
What if my historic tree is dying or diseased?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Daytona Beach
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Daytona Beach to another location·View the Florida tree protection overview
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