Cedar Park, TX Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

Cedar Park Code Article 14.07 does not enumerate a list of legally 'protected species' the way some jurisdictions do (e.g., Austin's protected Heritage Tree species). Instead, the ordinance applies tree retention and mitigation requirements based on caliper size (8+ inches) and references the city's preferred plant list - which is derived from the City of Austin 'Grow Green Guide' and the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) plant list - to determine which 6-inch+ trees must be retained at the 50% threshold during development. The preferred list emphasizes native Central Texas species: live oak (Quercus virginiana), cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia), Texas red oak (Quercus buckleyi), bald cypress, Mexican plum, and other drought-adapted natives. Live oaks represent approximately 70% of the current value of Cedar Park's street trees per the Texas A&M Forest Service inventory. While there is no statewide 'protected species' tree list in Texas, the Texas Oak Wilt Suppression Program and Texas A&M Forest Service guidance treat oak wilt-infected trees as a public nuisance, and many Central Texas municipalities restrict oak pruning February through June to limit fungal spread. Cedar Park follows this best practice for trees in public right-of-way.