Miramar, FL Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

The Land Development Code's definitions section, Section 202, sets up Miramar's closest equivalent to a landmark-tree program. A historic tree is defined as a tree determined to be of notable historic interest because of its age, type, size or historic association, and it only becomes protected once the city formally designates it as part of its official records, similar to a landmark designation. A specimen tree is defined objectively by size: any dicot (broadleaf) tree with a diameter at breast height of 18 inches or greater, or any monocot, like a palm, that is both 18 inches or greater in DBH and at least 35 feet tall, provided it is well-shaped and healthy as verified by a certified forester or the city's landscape inspector.

The definition excludes cultivated fruit trees such as mango, avocado or citrus, most ficus species, and small multi-trunk palms under 15 feet. 3 folds it into the code's protected vegetation category alongside street trees and required landscaping, meaning it cannot be removed, relocated or encroached upon within its dripline without a Tree Removal/Relocation Permit. 1 directs the Community Development Department, when it evaluates a removal permit application, to give priority to protected trees for preservation or relocation, replacement, or payment into the city's tree trust fund, ahead of allowing outright removal.