Nashville, TN Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Largest DBH threshold
- 24 inches (oak, maple, poplar)
- Smallest DBH threshold
- 8 inches (dogwood, holly)
- Civil penalty
- $50 per tree, per day
- Protection zone
- Fenced before grading starts
- Enforced by
- Metro urban forester / planning staff
Summary
Metro Nashville designates heritage trees by trunk diameter thresholds, 24 inches for oak, maple and poplar, down to 8 inches for dogwood and holly, or registration in the historic/specimen tree program, and protects them with a mandatory construction buffer zone.
A heritage tree is any tree that meets the one or more of the following criteria:i.Any tree with a DBH that meets or exceeds the following sizes: TREE TYPE DBH EXAMPLES but not limited to: Deciduous Canopy 24" Oak, Maple, Poplar, Planetree, Ginko Evergreen Tall 10" Am Holly, So. Magnolia, Pine, Spruce, Cedar Deciduous Understory 8" Redbud, Dogwood, Flowering Cherry, Jap. Magnolia, Jap. Maple Evergreen Low 8" Dwf. Magnolia, Hemlock, Hybrid Holly, Cherry Laurel (tree form)
ii.Any tree registered in the metro historic or specimen tree program; oriii.Any tree listed on the Tennessee Champion Tree list or the Tennessee Landmark and Historic Tree Registry as maintained by the Tennessee Division of Forestry.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53 | Charter: Republication 9).
Full Breakdown
Metropolitan Code § 17.28.065 defines a heritage tree as any tree meeting minimum diameter-at-breast-height thresholds, 24 inches for canopy species like oak and maple, 10 inches for tall evergreens, 8 inches for understory trees like dogwood, or any tree enrolled in the Metro historic or specimen tree program, or listed on the state Champion Tree list or Landmark and Historic Tree Registry. Qualifying trees must also be free of major insect or disease problems and have over fifteen years of life expectancy remaining. During development, retained heritage trees get a fenced structural and critical root protection zone, four-foot chain-link with bilingual 'Tree Protection Zone' signage, that must go up before grading begins and stay until final inspection.
Violations & Fines
Civil penalties of $50 per tree, per day apply for any injury, damage, or unpermitted removal within a heritage tree's protection zone, and no prior notice of violation is required before the penalty is assessed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a tree a "heritage tree" in Nashville?
What happens if a heritage tree is damaged during construction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nashville
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