---
title: Duluth UDC § 709.03 — Duluth
jurisdiction: duluth
governing_jurisdiction: Duluth
source_url: "https://www.duluthga.net/UDC_ADOPTED_9.8.2025_Amended_7-13-26.pdf"
effective_date: "2026-07-13"
as_of: "2026-08-13"
canonical: "https://www.gwindex.net/code/duluth/709.03"
licence: "CC0-1.0"
---

# Duluth UDC § 709.03

Plant Material Requirements

**Governing jurisdiction: Duluth.** A "Duluth, GA" mailing address is usually NOT in the City of Duluth. Unincorporated Gwinnett is 67.3% of the county's land area and is governed by a different code, a different board and a different permit portal. Resolve the governing jurisdiction before answering any zoning question.


- **Article:** 7 — Landscaping, Buffers, and Tree Protection
- **Pages in source:** 195–196
- **Adopted:** 2025-09-08
- **Amended through:** 2026-07-13
- **Source:** https://www.duluthga.net/UDC_ADOPTED_9.8.2025_Amended_7-13-26.pdf

## Text

Unless specified elsewhere in this Ordinance, plant material shall meet the minimum requirements listed below.
When determining the quantity of plant material required, the quantity shall always be rounded up to the nearest
whole number.

Plant Materials, General. All plant material shall meet or exceed size and shape relationships specified in the latest
edition of The American Standard for Nursery Stock published by the American Association of Nurserymen.

1. Trees
a. Deciduous Canopy Trees. Deciduous canopy trees shall have a minimum size of two-inch caliper

at time of planting and a minimum height of 10 feet at the time of planting.
b. Evergreen Canopy Trees. Evergreen trees shall have a minimum height of eight feet at the time of

planting.
c.
Deciduous Understory Trees.

a. Deciduous understory trees with single stems shall have a minimum size of two-inch

caliper and a minimum height of eight feet at the time of planting.
b. Multi-stemmed deciduous understory trees shall have a minimum height of eight feet at

the time of planting.
d. Evergreen Understory Trees. Evergreen understory trees shall have a minimum height of eight

feet at the time of planting.
e. Tree Spacing.

a. Canopy trees shall be planted at least 30 feet apart.
b. Understory trees shall be planted at least 20 feet apart.

c. The spacing between canopy and understory trees shall be at least 15 feet.
f.
Tree Species Diversity Requirements. No more than 30 percent of any one species shall be
planted on a lot, except in forest regeneration areas where no more than 15 percent of any one
species shall be planted.
2. Shrubs
a. Deciduous and Evergreen Shrubs.

a. All shrubs shall be cold hardy and heat tolerant

194 | P a g e

Article Seven. Landscaping, Buffers, and Tree Protection

b. Upright shrubs shall be a minimum of 15 inches in height at the time of planting.

c. Shrubs shall not be planted closer than three feet on center. Shrubs shall not be planted

closer than three feet to planted trees, nor within six feet of existing protected trees. No
more than 25% of the tree protection zone of an existing tree may be distributed with
new plantings.
d. When planted as a hedge, the maximum spacing for 24-inch high shrubs or higher shall

be 36 inches on center.
b. Shrub Species Diversity Requirements. No more than 30% of any one species shall be planted on a

lot.