Trees & Grounds

Commitments & Services
We are committed to working with the community to provide ethical and responsible services so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of living and working in Springfield. Public Grounds is responsible for the design, planning, planting, and management of vegetation along city right-of-ways, facility grounds and beautification projects within Springfield. Our primary goal is to effectively manage these areas of responsibility to provide a safe environment and a higher quality of life for our residents and visitors.
Public Works Operations Trees and Grounds

NeighborWoods

The NeighborWoods program is a partnership to enhance Springfield's community forest by using the City's 1/4-cent Capital Improvement Sales Tax Fund. 


Tree Registry

The Springfield Tree Registry heightens the level of awareness and appreciation of Springfield's urban forest by funding the Tree City USA Fund, a fund with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.


Trees for Sidewalks

Sidewalks decrease chances of in-road pedestrian-car collisions by 80% and are essential to a healthy community's lifestyle. Trees greatly enhance quality of life in many ways. That's why the City of Springfield's Public Works Traffic Operations division is now offering a tree-planting benefit (Trees for Sidewalks) in combination with school sidewalk construction in neighborhoods across the city.


 Right-of-Way Maintenance

Right-of-Way Maintenance consists of 988 lane miles of street cleaning, 900 acres of roadside mowing, and 115 acres of waterway maintenance (detention basins, sinkholes, channels and ditches).


 Trees and Landscaping

The city cares for over 15,000 public trees, 25 acres of landscaped street medians and parkways, and 65 acres of city facilities and other properties throughout the city.


Hazelwood Cemetery

Hazelwood Cemetery was opened in 1867 and at 60 acres it is the largest city-owned cemetery in the state with over 44,000 grave spaces. In addition to the maintaining the grounds, public grounds conducts lot sales and performs burial services for the cemetery. Three complete cleanups of the grounds are scheduled for March, June, and August.

Cemetery Documents

  1. Hazelwood Cemetery Map (PDF)
  2. Hazelwood Cemetery Monument Regulations (PDF)

Tree Documents

  1. City Tree Inventory Quick Facts (PDF)
  2. Heart of Tree Information Guide (PDF)
  3. How to Plant Trees (PDF)
  4. How to Properly Water Your Tree (PDF)
  5. How to Prune Your Trees (PDF)
  6. More on Pruning (PDF)
  7. Public Grounds Management Zones (PDF)
  8. Tree Maintenence Timetable and Checklist (PDF)
  9. Tree Planting Permit (PDF)
  10. Tree Work Permit (PDF)