Charlotte, NC Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

The definition sits in Article 2, Section 2.3, General Definitions, and it is written as a measurement test rather than a species roster: any tree native to North Carolina per the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Plants Database qualifies as a heritage tree once its diameter at breast height (DBH) reaches 30 inches or more. Non-native ornamental and landscape trees fall outside the definition no matter how large they grow, while any native oak, hickory, poplar, or other NC-native species crosses into protected status the moment it hits that 30-inch mark.

The designation only carries legal weight when a site is also undergoing development activity covered by Section 20.14.A: new construction of a principal structure, a cumulative increase in built-upon area or building coverage equal to or greater than 5% or 1,000 square feet (whichever is less), or approval of a standard subdivision under Section 30.3.A or a minor subdivision under Section 30.3.D, anywhere inside the City's corporate limits or its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). On a qualifying site, Section 20.14.B requires every heritage tree to be identified and "protected to the greatest extent possible," restricting removal to a City-issued tree work permit or the narrow hazard and extreme-poor-health exceptions in Section 20.14.B.2.

Because the test is measurement-based, builders and arborists surveying a lot before grading or construction must check the DBH of every mature native tree rather than screening for an ordinance-named species list, and a tree that is one inch under 30 DBH carries none of the removal or mitigation obligations that apply once it crosses the line.