Wylie, TX Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

Unlike ordinances that name specific protected species, the City of Wylie's Tree Preservation article, Appendix B Section 7.6, protects trees based on measured size. Section 7.6.C.3.a defines a protected tree as one that is at least 12 feet in height and has either a single trunk with a caliper of six inches or greater, or a multi-trunk form with a combined caliper of eight inches, all measured four and a half feet above natural grade; for multi-trunk trees the caliper is figured by adding the largest stem's width to half the width of each additional stem.

The definition applies across most of the City: all property with a protected tree, all vacant or undeveloped land, land being subdivided or replatted, developed yard areas outside single-family and duplex lots, and most easements and rights-of-way, per Section 7.6.B.1. Section 7.6.C.4 excludes injured, dying, diseased, insect-infested, or hazard trees, and trees a plat or grading plan already calls for removing, from the Tree Management Plan's protection. Enforcement is direct: Section 7.6.E.1 makes removing a protected tree, or injuring one badly enough that it is likely to die, a misdemeanor, and the City can impose a monetary penalty of $100 per caliper inch of the removed tree, paid into a City fund that supports replacement plantings, or require replacement trees of equal total caliper width with a minimum three-inch caliper and six-foot height each.