Santa Cruz is getting stricter about its trees.
And about time, to be fair.
The City Council is preparing a new municipal ordinance to protect urban trees, with the aim of getting it approved this year. It will introduce specific rules and, importantly, fines for people who don’t treat the city’s trees properly.
Yes, that includes you if you think branches are coat hooks.
Under the proposed rules, hanging objects from trunks or branches without authorisation will be prohibited. No more tying up signs, decorations or whatever seemed like a good idea at the time.
And dog owners take note.
Allowing your dog to urinate in flower beds could result in a fine. The idea is to prevent long-term damage to planting areas and young trees. Sanctions will be categorised as minor, serious or very serious, depending on the offence, once municipal technicians define the framework.
This local ordinance will align with the new Canary Islands Urban Tree Protection Law, which recently came into force after publication in the Official State Gazette.
That regional law makes it clear:
• No felling protected trees without proper authorisation
• No unjustified pruning
• Removal only permitted for safety reasons, serious infrastructure damage or properly justified public interest
In short, trees are now officially treated as assets to protect, not obstacles to work around.
This isn’t just about fines.
The council is linking the new tree protection rules to a wider High Temperatures Plan and its Green Infrastructure Plan. The focus is on creating more shaded areas across the city, both natural and artificial.
Santa Cruz gets hot. Properly hot.
To help with this, €16,000 has been earmarked in the 2026 budget for technical assistance to design the city’s climate response plan. The overall budget for the department sits at €2.2 million.
Specific projects already outlined include:
• €60,000 to install shade sails and plant trees along Calle Castillo
• €15,000 to create shaded refuge areas in various streets
• €25,000 to add shade to children’s parks in La Granja, García Sanabria and Volcán de Chaorrra
• €25,000 to fully cover the Sunday flea market area on Avenida Marítima with large sail structures
• €60,000 for new green corridors across the city
The flea market plan involves installing large sails supported by side structures to cover the entire Sunday market space. Anyone who’s walked around there at midday in summer will understand why.
This is about adapting the city to higher temperatures while protecting existing green assets.
Trees aren’t just decoration. They reduce heat, improve air quality and make urban spaces more liveable. In a city like Santa Cruz, that matters more each year.
It’s early days. There’s no draft of the ordinance yet. But if it’s enforced properly, it could change how public spaces are treated.
So maybe think twice before tying a banner to a palm tree.
And perhaps steer the dog away from the flower beds.