Trees in the parkway between sidewalk and curb must be approved species planted with city authorization. Wichita Park and Recreation maintains the public tree inventory and approves species lists for street tree planting.
Chapter 40 of the Wichita Code addresses public trees, including those in the parkway and other public rights-of-way. Approved species lists exclude messy or invasive trees like Bradford pear, silver maple, and certain ash given emerald ash borer pressure. Common acceptable species include bur oak, swamp white oak, Kentucky coffeetree, and disease-resistant elms. Spacing is typically 30 to 40 feet between trees. Property owners cannot remove parkway trees without a city permit, even though they often handle watering and basic care. The city offers occasional volunteer tree-planting programs through partnerships with the Kansas Forest Service and ReTree Wichita.
Planting an unapproved species or removing a parkway tree without permit can result in replacement requirements plus 100 to 500 dollar fines per tree under Chapter 40.
See how Wichita's parkway planting rules stack up against other locations.
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