Negative commandment · Lo Ta’aseh #57 of 613
Not to destroy fruit trees nor to destroy anything else of value
שלא להשחית אילני מאכל, וכן כל שיש בו השחתה אסור
The verse · Devarim 20:19
כִּי־תָצוּר אֶל־עִיר יָמִים רַבִּים לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ לְתׇפְשָׂהּ לֹא־תַשְׁחִית אֶת־עֵצָהּ לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל וְאֹתוֹ לֹא תִכְרֹת כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ בַּמָּצוֹר
“When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy its trees by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayst eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down; for is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by thee?”
The Rambam’s words
Not to destroy fruit trees nor to destroy anything else of value, as [Deuteronomy 20:19] states: "Do not destroy its trees."
שלא להשחית אילני מאכל, וכן כל שיש בו השחתה אסור, שנאמר "לא תשחית את עצה" (דברים כ,יט).
Why · Sefer HaChinuch #529
To not destroy fruit trees
“The root of this commandment is well-known — it is in order to teach our souls to love good and benefit and to cling to it. And through this, good clings to us and we will distance [ourselves] from all bad and destructive things.”
Who & when
“And this prohibition is practiced in every place and at all times by males and females.”
Where in the Mishneh Torah
Hilchot Kings and Wars הלכות מלכים ומלחמות