Lynwood, CA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Cost of city-planted tree
- No cost to resident, but resident buys the tree
- Pre-purchase approval
- Public works approves species, size, location first
- No prior approval
- City will not commit to planting it
- Wrong-species planting
- Prohibited act, subject to civil penalty
- Plan authority
- City council adopts master street tree plan
Summary
Residents who want a tree planted in the parkway strip in front of their Lynwood home must buy it themselves and get the species, size and planting location approved by the public works department first, under Lynwood Municipal Code § 13-2.6, or the city will not commit to planting or maintaining it.
13-2.6 Tree Planting in Residential Zone. Within the residential areas, the city, on a case by case basis, may plant a tree within the parkway at no cost to the resident. However, the tree must be purchased by the owner or occupant of the property. In addition, prior to purchasing the tree, the tree species, size and planting location must be approved by the public works department. If the tree is purchased by the home owner or occupant without the prior approval of the department, the city may not commit to planting the tree and all costs associated with the purchase of the tree shall be at the expense of the owner of the property or occupant. ... ... e. To plant a tree of a species other than an official street tree designated in the master street tree plan in a parkway, median or traffic island, and a violator shall be subject to a civil penalty.
Full Breakdown
Lynwood Municipal Code § 13-2.6 lets the city plant a parkway tree at no cost to the resident on a case-by-case basis, but the resident or property owner must first buy the tree themselves, and the public works department must approve the species, size and planting location before that purchase is made. If a homeowner buys and plants a tree in the parkway without that prior approval, § 13-2.6 says the city will not commit to planting it and the owner or occupant bears all costs of the purchase.
Planting locations are inspected by public works before installation, and existing field conditions such as utilities or sidewalk clearance can determine whether a tree can go in at all. The chapter's purpose section, § 13-2.1, ties this review to Lynwood's broader tree canopy and master street tree plan goals: the city engineer prepares an annual planting, maintenance and removal program and recommends changes to the master street tree plan to the city council (§ 13-2.4). Only officially designated street tree species listed in that master plan qualify as an 'official street tree' under § 13-2.2(n).
The public safety/traffic and parking commission reviews and advises on the city's tree planting, maintenance and removal practices and any proposed amendments to the master street tree plan (§ 13-2.8), and the city manager hears appeals of decisions made under this chapter.
Violations & Fines
Planting a tree in a parkway, median or traffic island that is not an official street tree from the master street tree plan is a prohibited act under § 13-2.15(e), and a violator is subject to a civil penalty. The city also will not adopt, water or replace a tree planted without public works' prior approval of species, size and location under § 13-2.6, leaving all purchase and maintenance costs with the property owner. Other Municipal Code violations default to § 1-5, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant a tree in the parkway in front of my Lynwood home?
Does Lynwood ever plant parkway trees for free?
What happens if I plant the wrong species of tree in the parkway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynwood
California rules heatmap·Compare Lynwood to another location·View the California tree protection overview
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle parkway planting.