Greenville County, SC Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted
- Ordinance 4173, January 22, 2008
- Legal protection
- None; owner may remove at will
- Preservation incentive
- 2.0x tree-density credit
- Specimen tree size
- Generally 30 inches DBH or larger
- Applies to
- New development sites only
- Design duty
- Consider heritage tree locations, § 17-55(E)
Summary
Greenville County doesn't stop a landowner from removing a heritage or historic tree: the definition in its tree ordinance says trees on the county's Historic and Specimen Tree List 'would not be protected from any use its owner may desire.' The only real effect is financial: developers who preserve a designated heritage or specimen tree during land development earn double tree-density-unit credit under §§ 17-54 and 17-61.
If during the review process, it is determined that specimen or heritage trees are on the site and are in areas that are to be part of the land development activity, the developer may be asked to consider minor redesign of the development plan for the purpose of saving the heritage or specimen tree(s). Upon approval by the County, a saved Heritage or Specimen tree will receive 2.0 times the credits published in § 17-61 for the DBH of the tree being saved.
Full Breakdown
Adopted by Ordinance 4173 on January 22, 2008 as part of the county's Article IV tree standards, the ordinance defines a Heritage or Historic Tree as one 'designated by the County to be of notable historical significance, value or interest because of its age, size, or cultural significance,' and a Specimen Tree as one of 'high value because of its type, size, age, or other professional criteria,' generally '30 inches or larger' in caliper. ' What the ordinance does reward is preservation during development. ' Section 17-55(E) separately requires that 'the design of any land development project or subdivision shall take into consideration the location of all Heritage Trees, Specimen Trees, and stands of Trees,' and lets the county field-survey a site at an owner's or developer's request to identify preservation opportunities.
Violations & Fines
There is no separate penalty specific to heritage or specimen trees; the tree standards article's general civil-penalty and enforcement provisions apply instead, and a heritage or specimen tree that is not part of an active land-development application, an individual homeowner's lot, for example, carries no protection at all under this article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cut down a heritage tree on my property in Greenville County?
What's the benefit of saving a heritage tree during development?
How big does a tree have to be to count as a specimen tree?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greenville County
Compare Greenville County to another location·View the South Carolina tree protection overview
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