Lubbock, TX Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Small tree spacing
- 20 feet minimum
- Medium tree spacing
- 30 feet minimum
- Large tree spacing
- 40 feet minimum
- Curb/sidewalk clearance
- 4 ft small; 6 ft medium/large
- Overhead utility clearance
- 10 lateral feet (large/medium)
- Exceptions
- Written request to parks director
Summary
Lubbock's parks and recreation director controls what gets planted as a street tree along city thoroughfares. Section 16.02.002 lists recommended small, medium and large species, and separate sections fix minimum spacing and distance from curbs and sidewalks by tree size.
Recommended street tree species. The following list constitutes recommendations for trees to be planted as street trees along thoroughfares within the City of Lubbock, Texas: Small trees. Crabapple, golden rain tree, hawthorne (sp.), ornamental pear, redbud, soapberry, crape myrtle, Japanese lilac, desert willow, Russian olive, possumhaw holly, yaupon holly, mesquite, Mexican plum, pinion pine. Medium trees. Eldarica pine, Austrian pine, cedar elm, bald cypress, live oak, honey locust, pistachio (sp.), ketleeri juniper. Large trees. Pecan, bur oak, red oak, deodar cedar, sweetgum, lacebark elm.
Full Breakdown
001). 002(a) recommends specific species by size class for planting as street trees along thoroughfares: small trees such as crabapple, redbud, crape myrtle, desert willow, mesquite and Mexican plum; medium trees such as cedar elm, bald cypress and live oak; and large trees such as pecan, bur oak, red oak and lacebark elm. 003: small trees may not be planted closer together than twenty feet, medium trees thirty feet, and large trees forty feet. 004 sets minimum distance from curbs and sidewalks: four feet for small trees, and six feet for both medium and large trees.
005 bars planting anything but small trees within ten lateral feet of an overhead utility wire, or within five lateral feet of an underground water line, sewer line, transmission line or other utility. The director may grant a written exception to the spacing, curb-distance or species rules on request, but there is no as-of-right variance. These standards date to Ordinance 10130, adopted January 14, 1999, and were renumbered by Ordinance 2011-O0021 in March 2011.
Violations & Fines
Planting a street tree in violation of the species, spacing or clearance rules is treated as a code violation under Article 16.02; the city or its agent may enter and remove or prune a nonconforming or hazardous planting after written notice under Chapter 14, with costs assessable against the property owner and a right of appeal under Chapter 14.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides what species I can plant as a Lubbock street tree?
How far apart do street trees have to be in Lubbock?
How close to the curb can I plant a parkway tree?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lubbock
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Lubbock to another location·View the Texas tree protection overview
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