There are a number of rules to consider when planting along a property boundary. The distance to be maintained from the property line also varies from state to state. Find out below which regulations apply and which plants are not covered.
What regulations apply to planting along property boundaries in Germany?
The planting of property boundaries in Germany is subject to different regulations depending on the federal state. Important factors are the height of the plant, the distance to the border and the type of plant. Detailed distance requirements for trees, bushes and hedges are defined in the respective state laws.
The decisive factors: distance and height
What you can plant where generally depends on three factors:
- the height of the plants
- the distance to the property line
- Type of plant
Almost nothing is allowed to be planted on the property line, but a few meters away you can. Each federal state has its own regulations. While in Hesse and Lower Saxony small hedges can be planted very close to the property boundary, in other federal states a distance of at least half a meter must almost always be maintained. Each federal state has its own regulations. An exception are Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which have not issued any regulations on border planting. However, the Lower Saxony regulations apply in Hamburg.
| State | Tree distance from property line | Shrub/hedge Distance to property line |
|---|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | Over 12m height: 8m, below 12m height 4m or 3m (fruit trees) distance | Up to 1.8m height: 0.5m |
| Bavaria | Over 2m height: 2m, below 2m height: 0.5m | Over 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 strong growing trees: 4m, strong growing: 2m, fruit and nut trees: 2m, other trees: 1.5m | Ornamental shrubs depending on growth rate 0.5 to 1m, 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 distances 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 trees: 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 trees: 2m, others: 1.5m | Hedge up to 1m: 0.25m, up to 1.5m: 0.75m, up to 1.5m: 0.5m |
| Saxony | Over 2m height: 2m, below 2m height: 0.5m | Over 2m height: 2m, below 2m height: 0.5m |
| Saxony-Anh alt | 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 the final growth height | One third of the final growth height |
| Thuringia | Very strong-growing trees: 4m, strong-growing trees: 2m, others: 1.5m | Hedges: up to 2m: 0.75m, strong-growing shrubs: 1m, other shrubs: 0.5m |
A gray area: perennials
Perennials are not trees and are therefore usually not covered by the regulations. So when in doubt, plant tall perennials instead.
Who owns the tree on the property line?
If there is already a tree on the property line, whose property it belongs to depends on its roots. If the roots are exactly on the boundary, its fruits and the work associated with care must be shared. If the tree is only on one property but protrudes beyond the one next to it, the owner does not have to be responsible for falling leaves make. However, the neighbor is allowed to cut back “his part”. Theoretically, however, the owner is obliged to cut the tree on time.
