When planting a property line, there are a number of regulations that must be observed. The distance to the property line to be maintained also varies from state to state. Find out below which regulations apply and which plants are not covered.

Each state has its own regulations regarding property border planting

The decisive factors: distance and height

What you can plant and where generally depends on three factors:

  • the height of the plants
  • the distance to the property line
  • type of plant

Almost nothing may be planted on the property line, but a few meters away it is. Each state has its own regulations on this. While in Hesse and Lower Saxony small hedges can be planted very close to the property line, in other federal states a distance of at least half a meter must almost always be maintained. Each state has its own regulations. An exception are Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which have not issued any regulations on border planting. In Hamburg, however, the Lower Saxony regulations are applied.

federal state Tree distance to property line Shrub/hedge Distance to property line
Baden-Wuerttemberg Above 12m height: 8m, below 12m height 4m or 3m (fruit trees) distance Up to 1.8m height: 0.5m
Bavaria Above 2m height: 2m, below 2m height: 0.5m Above 2m height: 2m, below 2m height: 0.5m
Berlin Strong-growing trees: 3m, fruit trees: 1m, other trees: 1.50. Shrubs: 0.5m, hedges over 2m: 1m, under 2m: 0.5m
Brandenburg Fruit trees: 2m, other trees: 4m At least a third of the height from the ground
Hesse Very fast-growing trees: 4m, fast-growing: 2m, fruit and nut trees: 2m, other trees: 1.5m Ornamental shrubs 0.5 to 1m depending on growth rate, hedges over 2m high: 0.75m, under 2m high: 0.5m, very small hedges: 0.25m
Lower Saxony and Bremen Up to 1.2m: 0.25m distance, up to 15m: 3m, over 15m: 8m, there are several abs in between Also applies to shrubs and hedges
North Rhine-Westphalia Strong-growing trees: 4m, other trees: 2m Strong-growing ornamental shrubs: 1m, other shrubs: 0.5m
Rhineland-Palatinate Very strong-growing trees: 4m, strong-growing: 2m, other trees 1.5m Hedges up to 1m: 0.25m, up to 1.5m: 0.5m, up to 2m: 0.75 etc.
Saarland Very strong-growing trees: 4m, strong-growing: 2m, others: 1.5m Hedge up to 1m: 0.25m, up to 1.5m: 0.75m, up to 1.5m: 0.5m
Saxony Above 2m height: 2m, below 2m height: 0.5m Above 2m height: 2m, below 2m height: 0.5m
Saxony-Anhalt Up to 1.5m: 0.5m, up to 3m: 1m, up to 5m: 1.25, up to 15m: 3m, over 15m: 6m Also applies to shrubs and hedges
Schleswig Holstein One third of final growth height One third of final growth height
Thuringia Very strong-growing trees: 4m, strong-growing: 2m, others: 1.5m Hedges: up to 2m: 0.75m, vigorous shrubs: 1m, other shrubs: 0.5m

A gray area: perennials

Perennials are not woody plants and are therefore usually not covered by the regulations. If in doubt, plant tall perennials.

Who owns the tree on the property line?

If there is already a tree on the property line, it depends on its roots to whose property it belongs. If the roots are exactly on the border, its fruits and also the labors associated with the care must be shared.
If the tree is only on one piece of land, but protrudes beyond the one next to it, the owner does not have to be held responsible for leaf shedding. However, the neighbor may cut back “his part”. In theory, however, the owner is obliged to cut the tree in a timely manner.

Category:

Garden design