Grand Trees in Tampa

A grand tree is a listed tree with a trunk diameter of 32″ or greater and with a condition rating of fair or better. The list of grand tree species is here.

If it is not listed above, it most likely won’t be grand. If you can stand in front of a tree and wrap your arms around it, it is not a grand tree (except in the very rare circumstance that you are standing in front of a Champion or Challenger Tree). The trunk diameter is too small for the tree to qualify as grand.

If the tree is an invasive species, like an Australian Pine or Brazilian Pepper, it can’t be grand. In some cases, you may actually be required to remove the tree just because it is invasive. A list of invasive species in Florida is maintained by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. The outlier here is that invasive Camphor Trees can still be considered to be grand.

If it is not listed above, it most likely won’t be grand. If you can stand in front of a tree and wrap your arms around it, it is not a grand tree (except in the very rare circumstance that you are standing in front of a Champion or Challenger Tree). The trunk diameter is too small for the tree to qualify as grand.

If the tree is an invasive species, like an Australian Pine or Brazilian Pepper, it can’t be grand. In some cases, you may actually be required to remove the tree just because it is invasive. A list of invasive species in Florida is maintained by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. The outlier here is that invasive Camphor Trees can still be considered to be grand.

For the most part, Yes.

First, figure out what kind of tree you have. For assistance, consider contacting a UF IFAS Extension Master Gardener or an ISA Certified Arborist or an ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist to help identify the tree.

If the tree isn’t an invasive species, measure the trunk diameter. To measure the diameter, arborists use a diameter tape and wrap it around the trunk to get either or circumference or direct diameter conversion measurement. The measurement is taken from about 54″ above the ground, at roughly chest height. The same measurement can be taken with a measuring band like the ones used to get fitted for a suit or dress. A metal tape measure will not work. If you wrap the band all the way around the trunk and the measurement is greater than 100″ or about 8′-4″, then the tree is probably grand. If you have a tree survey that shows the diameter, then the tree will likely be grand if the diameter is equal to or greater than 32″ (but it is always worth having a consulting arborist verify that diameter measurement).

An arborist is required to evaluate the tree's condition rating and make the final grand determination.

For more information: check out the City of Tampa Tree Information Page.

Yes, but a permit is required and the pruning must be conducted under the supervision of an ISA Certified Arborist and in accordance with ANSI A300 Clause 5 standards (the industry standard for pruning).

More information for grand tree pruning permits can be found on the City of Tampa’s website.

If your property is a brownfield site and tree removal is required to satisfy another agency’s (i.e. FDEP) environmental requirements, a grand tree can be approved for removal administratively through a Design Exception process. (This provision will likely not apply to homeowners)

If the tree is deemed to be ‘hazardous’ per the city's 12-point grading system, removal can be permitted administratively. In emergency situations, such as a whole tree failure due to wind damage, the removal can be permitted after-the-fact with an arborist report.

If the tree is located near the center of your small lot, removal can be permitted administratively. This provision is called the “Tree Removal Zone” which has very specific definitions for what a small lot is and what areas of the lot qualify as the “center.” Contact a design professional to assist in determining whether this provision applies to your lot. (Dark Moss can assist in this determination) This provision only applies when associated with a building permit.

If the tree will be impacted by construction, removal can be permitted once the request is approved by a board or commission at a public hearing. Typically this is done through a variance request. Plans are prepared, letters are mailed, you or an attorney or agent attend a public hearing to discuss your case. Neighbors may attend as well or send in comments beforehand. During the hearing, a presentation is made and then the board votes on whether to allow the removal or not.

If they do not approve of the removal, then the decision can be appealed to City Council. Council can either uphold the decision, remand it back to the variance review board, or override the decision.

State law allows for any non-mangrove tree located on residential property to be removed if it is considered to be an unacceptable risk.

Several terms here have very specific meanings: 

“Documentation” means an onsite assessment performed in accordance with the tree risk assessment procedures outlined in Best Management Practices - Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017) by an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) or a Florida licensed landscape architect and signed by the certified arborist or licensed landscape architect.

“Residential property” means a single-family, detached building located on a lot that is actively used for single-family residential purposes and that is either a conforming use or a legally recognized nonconforming use in accordance with the local jurisdiction’s applicable land development regulations.

A local government may not require a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or mitigation for the pruning, trimming, or removal of a tree on a residential property if the property owner possesses documentation from an arborist certified by the ISA or a Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk to persons or property.

A tree poses an unacceptable risk if removal is the only means of practically mitigating its risk below moderate, as determined by the tree risk assessment procedures outlined in Best Management Practices - Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017).

A local government may not require a property owner to replant a tree that was pruned, trimmed, or removed in accordance with this section.

This section does not apply to the exercise of specifically delegated authority for mangrove protection pursuant to ss. 403.9321-403.9333.

The italicized text is the law verbatim.

In response to the law, The Florida Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture is prepared an example tree risk assessment document to provide guidance to arborists who may not be familiar with the overlapping requirements of ANSI A300, the industry standard, and the BMPs. The document can be accessed here.

Dark Moss arborists rarely consult in this context, usually a permit is easier and cheaper if the tree is risky. Beware of unethical professionals who may prepare a report that looks complete, but isn't sufficient "documentation." The property owner will be on the hook if a code violation occurs, not the professional.

Short Answer: 20' from the trunk of the tree.

Real Answer: it depends... on the tree, on the hardscape element, and on the special design techniques employed.

Dark Moss arborists specialize in this type of reporting and documentation.

Same answers as above, but city reviewers will scrutinize the proposal more to avoid adversely impacting a jointly or separately owned tree.

According to the 2021 City of Tampa Canopy Study and Urban Forest Analysis, approximately 5% of the trees in the city are large enough to be considered a Grand Tree. Anecdotally, 10% of the trees Dark Moss arborists have assessed since 2022 have been of Grand.