Fire Resisting Fire resisting garden for the urban fringe and rural areas Garden Plants

Why Flammability is Important The Role of Replacement Planting maturity for up to 15 years and therefore will not provide effective fire for the urban fringe protection for sometime. In comparison, other plants have shorter life During a bushfire, the type, amount and arrangement of vegetation is Fire retardant plants can absorb more of the heat of the approaching spans and may continually need to be replaced. critically important for the survival of your house. The fuel for bushfires bushfire without burning than more flammable plants. They can trap and rural areas is the main danger factor that people can control. Hazard reduction burning embers and sparks and reduce wind speeds near your house if Environmental Weeds activities such as clearing and fuel reduction burning, aim to lower the correctly positioned and maintained. Fire resistant ground covers can be vegetation hazard to a safe level. Because some plants have a higher used to slow the travel of a fire through the litter layer and fire resistant All gardeners should be aware that some plants are not wanted in the resistance to burning than others, we can use low flammability plants shrubs can be used to separate the litter layer from the trees above. bush even if they are valued in the garden. Unfortunately there are many for added protection in addition to normal maintenance and hazard ornamental plants which can really take off when they get into the bush. If the low flammability plants sound like ornamentals and vegetables and reduction activities. Some do so well they choke out the natives, like blackberries, or become the highly flammable ones sound like dry bush and scrub: then you’ve a fire hazard, like gorse. There are two basic factors to be got the idea. Obviously, on dry sites it considered in determining a plant’s will be very difficult to grow wet forest Many environmental weeds were brought to as ornamental flammability: the first is how readily plants so consider planting useful or food plants and have found conditions to their liking. Most are not its parts burn and the second is how non-natives such as vegetables particularly affected by pests and diseases and so have a head start over the form of the whole of the growing and fruit trees (most of which have the local plants. Predicting whether a plant will become an environmental plant influences the burning of the very low flammabilities) or some of weed is not easy so it’s good practice to use native plants in gardens whole plant. “Flammability” then is, the less flammable ornamentals as close to bushland. Known environmental weeds in Tasmania that have or should be, the outcome of these part of your fire proofing strategy. moderate or higher flammability should be avoided and are shown on two factors.There are many lists of Planting these close to the the plant flammability list. plants in books but unfortunately structure and planting the natives For further information consult your local DPIPWE or Council weed most should be treated with further away also reduces the risk of management officers. A useful pamphlet is “Garden Plants are Going suspicion because they haven’t these exotics escaping into the bush. Bush… and Becoming Environmental Weeds” published by the Society been tested in an acceptable way. building protection zone Tasmania Fire Service recommends for Growing Australian Native Plants. The trouble with a lot of the books that around every house in bushfire is they don’t tell us which aspects of prone areas there should be a zone Protecting Your Home flammability are included and how where vegetation and other fuels are Replacement planting with low they are combined. minimal (the Building Protection fuel modified zone flammability plants is not sufficient Zone) and that this zone should be Testing the flammability of individual protection on its own. People surrounded by a further zone where pieces of plant is usually done by living on the urban fringe and in fuels are maintained at a low level (the Fuel Modified Zone). The widths taking a section of leaf and subjecting it to a flame and measuring rural areas need to be aware of of these zones vary with slope from 10 to 50 metres, and descriptions, how quickly it burns. If you are wondering about the flammability of a the risk of bushfire and prepare widths and other information can be found at www.fire.tas.gov.au. When few different plants, you can get a good idea using an LPG torch on themselves and their homes for when the fire comes. The Tasmania Fire choosing fire retardant plants, other attributes should be taken into pruned branches. Plants will of course burn differently once they are Service DVD and booklet “Bushfire - Prepare to Survive” provides good consideration such as their aesthetic appeal, growth rate, resistance to dead and dry and so it is usual to test both green and dead samples. advice for householders on the urban fringe and rural areas who want to drought and frost, and possibly their ability to regenerate following fire. Plants with broad fleshy leaves are better than those with fine hard prepare themselves and their homes for bushfires. The DVD, booklet and leaves (). Those with significant amounts of volatile oils, If fire retardant plants are to be grown, a firm commitment must be other fire safety advice is available from any Tasmania Fire Service office. like the eucalypt family which includes eucalypts and tea-trees, should made to regularly maintain them or they may become a fire hazard. This be avoided. includes sufficient watering, so a high leaf moisture content is maintained, the removal of dead material and regular pruning of lower branches. The influence of plant shape is a lot more subjective: low growing plants Water availability is likely to be a problem in the drier months when the and ground covers are better than shrubs; plants with dense foliage are threat of fire is greatest. When choosing fire retardant species their water better than those with open airy crowns; plants which don’t retain dead For further information requirements need to be considered. There is no point growing plants as material are better than those which hold up lots of fuel; plants with a protective measure against fire if they are going to die when they are smooth bark are better than those with ribbon and rough bark. Freecall 1800 000 699 most needed. Indeed, all dead plant material will be a fire hazard. www.fire.tas.gov.au It is also necessary to realise that establishing a fire retardant garden will take time, money and lots of hard work. Many plants do not reach

140836 v7 August 2014 PREPARE • ACT • SURVIVE Fire resisting garden plants for the urban fringe and rural areas

Moderate Flammability Morus sp. E Mulberry Dodonaea viscosa TN Native Hop Introduction These plants should be avoided in the Myoporum insulare AN Boobyalla Elaeocarpus reticulatus TN Blueberry Ash All vegetation will burn in a bushfire and pose a hazard to people and Building Protection Zone. They should Nerium oleander E Oleander their homes. However, not all vegetation has the same flammability and Eucalyptus amygdalina TN Black Peppermint not be allowed to dominate your Olearia argophylla TN Musk there is great potential for people living in bushfire prone areas to reduce Eucalyptus globulus TN Blue Gum garden and should be well maintained, Photinia glabra var. rubens E Chinese Fire Bush or their fire hazard by changing the plants in their gardens. Eucalyptus obliqua TN Brown Stringybark being especially careful to remove Red-leafed Photinia Eucalyptus paniculata AN Grey Ironbark dead material before it accumulates. Pittosporum bicolor TN Cheesewood Flammability Groups Eucalyptus pulchella TN White Peppermint melanoxylon - Blackwood Pteridium esculentum TN Bracken Fern Rhododendron sp. E Rhododendron In the following list E denotes an exotic plant, Eucalyptus viminalis TN White Gum Acacia baileyana AN X Cootamundra Wattle Rosa sp. E X Roses, Briars TN a plant native to Tasmania, AN a plant Exocarpos cupressiformis TN Native Cherry Acacia decurrens AN Green Wattle Salix babylonica E Weeping native to mainland and X a known Flindersia australis AN Crow’s Ash Acacia mearnsii TN Black Wattle Salix chilensis E Pencil Willow environmental weed. Gahnia grandis TN Cutting Grass Acacia melanoxylon TN Blackwood Sorbus aucuparia E Rowan Gleditsia tricanthos E Honey Locust Acacia podalyrifolia AN Mt Morgan Wattle Spathodea campanulata E African Tulip Tree High Flammability Grevillea x Poorinda AN Poorinda Cultivars of Grevilleas Actinidia chinensis E Kiwi Fruit Araucaria heterophylla AN Norfolk Island Syringa vulgaris E Lilac These plants have been shown to be highly Grevillea robusta AN Silky Atherosperma moschatum TN Sassafras Weigela florida E Fairy Trumpets flammable and should not be planted or Grevillea rosmarinifolia AN Rosemary Grevillea Bedfordia salincina TN Blanket Bush Zieria arborescens TN Stinkwood allowed to remain inside your house’s Building Ilex aquifolium E X Holly Beyeria viscosa TN Pinkwood Protection Zone. They should also be avoided Lepidosperma laterale AN Sword Rush Brachychiton acerifolius AN Illawarra Flame Tree Low Flammability in the Fuel Modified Zone. Move these plants Corymbia maculata - Leptospermum lanigerum TN Woolley Teatree Brachychiton discolor AN Lacebark away from your house and replace them with Spotted Gum These plants are acceptable Leptospermum scoparium TN Manuka, Teatree Brachychiton rupestris AN Bottle Tree less flammable plants. in the Building Protection Lomandra longifolia TN Saggs Calodendrum capense E Cape Zone and will be valuable Melaleuca alternifolia AN Paperbark Canna indica E Canna Lily TN Silver Wattle replacements for more Monstera deliciosa E Monstera Cassia floribunda E Smooth Cassia Hymenosporum flavum - Acacia stricta TN Hop Wattle flammable plants. Nandina domestica E Sacred Bamboo Ceanothus papillosus E Pacific Blue Native Frangipanni Acacia verticillata TN Prickly Moses Nicotiana glauca AN Tobacco Bush Chaenomeles japonica E Flowering Quince Acer palmatum E Japanese Artemisia sp. E Wormwood or Angels Hair Pinus elliottii E Slash or Elliott’s Pine Chrysanthemum indicum E Chrysanthemum Acmena smithii AN Lilly Pilly Camellia sp. E Camellias Pinus patula E Mexican or Weeping Pine Citrus nobilis E Mandarin Aesculus hippocastanum E Common Horse Chestnut Capsicum annum var. E Chilli Pittosporum undulatum AN X Sweet Pittosporum Coleonema pulchrum E Diosma fasciculatum Allocasuarina cunninghamiana AN River Sheoak Cotoneaster glaucophyllus E X Cotoneaster Platanus x acerifolia E Tree Diplarrena moraea TN White Flag Iris Angophora floribunda E Rough-barked Apple Cucurbita maxima E Pumpkin Poa sp. AN Poa Grass Gazania hybrida E Treasure Flower Bambusa vulgaris E Bamboo Cymbopogon citratus E Lemon Grass sp. E Poplar Hebe speciosa E Veronica Banksia integrifolia AN Coast Banksia Cyphomandra betacea E Tamarillo Quercus robur E English oak Hemerocallis aurantiaca E Day Lilly Banksia marginata TN Honeysuckle Delonix regia E Poinciana Spiraea catoniensis E May Hydrangea macrophylla E Hydrangea Betula pendula E Silver Dicksonia antarctica TN Man Fern Tasmannia lanceolata TN Native Pepper Hymenocallis littoralis E Spider Lily or Spider Flower Buddleia davidii E Butterfly Bush Diospryros sp. E Persimmon Ulex europaeus E X Gorse Hymenosporum flavum AN Native Frangipanni Callistemon citrinus AN Common Red Bottlebrush Eriobotrya japonica E Loquat Viburnum opulus E Guelder Rose Lampranthus aurantiacus E Pigface or Iceplant Callitris rhomboidea TN Oyster Bay Pine Escallonia macrantha E Escallonia Lavendula angustifolia E English Lavender Cassia javanica E Pink Cassia Euryops pectinatus E Yellow Daisy Bush Text by Mark Chladil and Jennifer Sheridan. Genista monspessulana E X Montpellier Broom Passiflora herbertiana AN Native Passionfruit Chamaecyparis lawsoniana E Lawson Cypress Photographs of selected plants by Alan Macfadyen, Koelreuteria paniculata E Golden Rain Tree Pelargonium peltatum E Geranium E Camphor Laurel Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Thanks to Natalie Papworth, Lantana camara E Lantana Pomaderris apetala TN Dogwood Citrus limon E Lemon Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Ligustrum lucidum E Large-leaved Privet Prunus sp. E Cortaderia argentea E X Pampas Grass Original research and publication supported by the Liquidambar styraciflua E Liquidamabar Solanum melongera E Eggplant Corymbia maculata AN Spotted Gum Tasmanian Fire Research Fund. Revision 3, 2006. Magnolia grandiflora E Magnolia Cupressus funebris E Mourning Cypress