Alhambra, CA Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

170(B) defines which trees the city's preservation ordinance covers. Three categories qualify as protected trees. Quercus family trees, meaning oaks, are protected once they exceed 15 feet in height or have a trunk diameter greater than 12 inches, 36 inches in circumference, measured four and one-half feet above the root crown. California native trees other than oaks are protected at the same 15-foot or 12-inch/36-inch threshold. A broader category, mature tree, catches any tree species once it tops 20 feet in height or reaches a 24-inch trunk diameter, 75-inch circumference, again measured four and one-half feet above the root crown, regardless of species.

170(A), to recognize oaks and other California native and mature trees as significant aesthetic and ecological resources, aiming to mitigate soil erosion and air pollution and preserve neighborhood property values and character. Subsection (F) backs the definitions with a blanket rule: no protected tree, in any of the three categories, may be removed, topped, trimmed, pruned, or otherwise damaged except in conformance with the chapter. A handful of narrow exemptions still apply regardless of category, including fruit trees, non-native palms, dead wood removal, and routine trimming that doesn't amount to topping, but any tree meeting the height or diameter thresholds otherwise falls under the ordinance's permit and replacement requirements.