Garden Grove, CA Tree Protection: Tree Replacement Requirements (2026)

Garden Grove manages tree replacement through its Public Works Department for public right-of-way trees and through the development review process for private projects. When a city street tree is removed for any reason—disease, safety hazard, infrastructure damage, or utility conflicts—the Public Works Department replaces it with an appropriate species from the city's approved street tree list. The replacement tree species is selected based on the parkway width, overhead utility clearances, and compatibility with surrounding landscaping. Residents may request a specific species from the approved list. For new development and significant renovation projects, Garden Grove's Zoning Code requires landscape plans that include tree planting at specified minimum ratios, typically one tree per specified square footage of landscaped area. Parking lot landscaping requirements include shade trees at ratios designed to provide canopy coverage over paved areas. If a developer removes existing trees on a project site, the approved landscape plan must include replacement trees at ratios determined during plan review. Multi-family and commercial projects undergo landscape plan review by the Community Development Department. Maintenance of required landscape trees is the property owner's ongoing responsibility, and dead trees must be replaced within a reasonable timeframe.