Cary, NC Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Upper-story trees required
- 3 per 100 ft
- Max spacing between trees
- 40 ft
- Min caliper at planting
- 2 inches
- Governing section
- LDO § 7.2.4(D)
Summary
Cary's Land Development Ordinance requires new development to plant upper-story shade trees along street frontage, spacing them no more than 40 feet apart within the required streetscape buffer.
The property owner or developer shall install three (3) upper-story trees at least two (2) inches in caliper for each one hundred (100) linear feet of streetscape. The maximum spacing between upper-story trees shall be forty (40) feet.
(b) If existing trees that meet the intent of the upper-story tree requirement are preserved, then the requirement shall be reduced proportionally.
(c) Upper-story trees shall be planted at appropriate distances from public rights-of-way, sidewalks, and other utilities as required by the Land Development Ordinance and the Community_Appearance_Manual.
(d) Within historic character preservation streetscapes, upper- story trees shall be native species, at least fifty percent (50%) of which shall be evergreen. Trees shall be planted at a density of four (4) trees per one hundred (100) linear feet of streetscape, installed in an irregular manner to mimic a natural forest stand.
(3) Understory/Ornamental Trees
(a) Where the required streetscape is thirty (30) feet or less in width, the property owner or developer shall install or preserve five (5) deciduous understory or ornamental trees at least two (2) inches in caliper for each one hundred (100) linear feet of streetscape. The maximum spacing between understory/ornamental trees shall be twenty (20) feet except as noted in Section 7.2.4(D)(3)(c).
(b) Where the required buffer width is greater than thirty (30)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2023 S-87_S-57: Current through local ordinance 2022-Code-05, passed 11-17-2022 and effective 11-17-2022 | LDO: Current through local ordinance 2022-LDO-04, passed 11-17-22 and effective 11-17-22).
Full Breakdown
Cary requires new development to landscape the streetscape buffer along road frontage with a mix of upper-story and understory trees. LDO § 7.2.4(D)(2)(a) requires three upper-story trees at least two inches in caliper for every 100 linear feet of streetscape, spaced no more than 40 feet apart. Understory or ornamental trees are required in addition where the streetscape is 30 feet wide or less, per § 7.2.4(D)(3)(a). Existing healthy trees can be preserved instead of new plantings, which proportionally reduces the new-planting requirement, and historic character preservation streetscapes along parts of Morrisville Carpenter Road carry denser, native-species planting rules.
Violations & Fines
Removing or damaging required streetscape trees without approval draws a $2,000 base fine under LDO § 11.5.2(B)(2)(b), plus $4 per square foot of area disturbed, and mandatory replacement planting under § 11.5.2(B)(1).
Frequently Asked Questions
How far apart must street trees be planted in Cary?
Can existing trees count toward the streetscape planting requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cary
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle parkway planting.