Fort Worth, TX Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

, puts every tree in the public right-of-way, including the parkway strip between the sidewalk and the curb, under the Park and Recreation Department. Section 33-7 states plainly that "all trees, plants and shrubs growing between the sidewalk and the curb are the property of the city," so a homeowner cannot treat the strip in front of a house as private landscaping. " Before planting: Section 33-6 makes it "unlawful for any person to plant, prune, remove, paint or spray any tree, plant or shrub on any public highway or public place without first securing a permit from the city forester," and if more than one tree is going in, the department requires the applicant to fill out a form describing the planting plan.

Anyone doing construction work near a public tree must first install guards approved by the city forester (Section 33-3), and attaching a wire, cable, sign or rope to a public tree also needs a separate permit (Section 33-5). 2 of the Subdivision Ordinance, double-frontage residential lots that back onto an arterial street must plant street trees of at least three-inch caliper, of a species the city forester accepts, at a minimum of one tree per 50 lineal feet of parkway along that arterial frontage. No specific fine is written into Chapter 33, so the general penalty in Section 1-6 controls: up to $500 per violation, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense.