Springfield, MO Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- LDC § 36-482(7)(g)1, (7)(i)
- Credit value
- Counts as four trees
- Waiver trigger
- All abutting owners consent
- Fallback path
- Board of adjustment variance
Summary
Springfield, Missouri's zoning code protects individual 'exceptional quality' trees, chosen for size, canopy, trunk, rareness, age or species, by crediting them toward landscaping requirements and letting the city waive setback and bufferyard rules to save them.
Trees of exceptional quality due to size, large canopy cover, trunk diameter, rareness, age or species located anywhere on the site may, at the discretion of the director, be credited as four trees in computing the minimum requirements in bufferyards and perimeter landscaping areas. ... The director may waive rules regarding setbacks and bufferyards to preserve trees of exceptional quality due to size, large canopy cover, trunk diameter, rareness, age, or species when written consent has been received from all owners of abutting property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 2 | Land Development Code: Supplement 9 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Springfield's landscaping code gives special protection to 'trees of exceptional quality', those distinguished by size, canopy cover, trunk diameter, rareness, age, or species, anywhere on a development site. At the director's discretion, such a tree can count as four trees toward bufferyard and landscaping requirements, and the director may waive setback and bufferyard rules to save it if every abutting property owner consents in writing; without unanimous consent, the board of adjustment can grant the waiver as a variance. There is no separate list of protected species in Greene County's Springfield code, protection turns on individual tree quality, not a species roster.
Violations & Fines
A credited exceptional-quality tree that is later removed must be replaced with the number of trees for which credit was originally given, per LDC § 36-482(7)(g)2.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Springfield list specific tree species it protects?
Can setback rules be waived to save a valuable tree in Springfield?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Springfield
Compare Springfield to another location·View the Missouri tree protection overview
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