Native Plants & Your Fire-Resistant Landscaping

Fire-Resistant Characteristics

• Fire-resistant plants do not easily ignite or provide significant fuel to feed flames. They tend to have moist leaves or fluid-filled, fleshy stems, such as succulents and cacti. Many deciduous trees such as maples, poplars and hickories are relatively fire resistant. Unlike flammable plants, such as juniper, eucalyptus and cypress, fire-resistant plants have little or no resinous sap and lack a strong, aromatic odor. Instead, the sap is usually watery and leaves and stems lack flammable oils and waxes. Most fire-resistant plants produce little or no litter.

Selecting Native Plants

• For greatest fire resistance, native plants must be adapted to your specific environment. Elevation, wind and other conditions create microclimates that influence plant selection. A plant that is healthy and fire resistant in the mountains may not be appropriate for a nearby valley. For this reason, lists of fire-resistant plants sometimes contradict each other. Local nurseries specializing in native plants can recommend fire-resistant species for your particular location.

Examples of Fire-Resistant Natives

• The century plant (Agave deserti) is a large, drought-resistant succulent that grows 5 feet tall. Native to the Mojave Desert, the century plant tolerates heat and cold to about 18 degrees Fahrenheit and grows in U. S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8b to 11. Bush mallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus) is a fire-resistant evergreen shrub that grows in the same USDA zones as century plant, with silvery green foliage and pink summer flowers that attract butterflies.

  Low-growing plants are important in fire-resistant landscapes. Stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium) is a low spreading succulent that performs well in rock gardens and mountainous areas, growing in USDA zones 3 to 8. Wild strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) is a fast-growing groundcover that features white or pink flowers, growing in USDA zones 5 to 9. The western cottonwood (Populus fremontii) is a fast-growing tree that features yellow foliage in fall and grows well in USDA zones 7 to 10.

Landscape Maintenance

• Spacing and maintenance of plants is important to fire-resistant landscaping. Plants should be installed away from the house and spaced far apart or in widely spaced islands to create fire breaks. Water newly planted trees, shrubs and grasses regularly until they become established. Trees should be limbed up approximately 6 feet, to discourage fire from spreading upward from low-growing vegetation. Remove any potential fuel sources, such as dead branches, dried leaves or grass clippings immediately.