Fire Retardant Plants for the Urban Fringe and Rural Areas

Flammability Groups Leptospermum scoparium TN Pittosporum undulatum AN X Cucurbita maxima E Pumpkin Morus sp. E Mulberry Manuka, Teatree Sweet Pittosporum Cymbopogon citratus E Lemon Grass Myoporum insulare AN Boobyalla In the following list E denotes an exotic plant, TN a plant Lomandra longifolia TN Saggs Platanus x acerifolia E Plane Tree Cyphomandra betacea E Tamarillo Nerium oleander E Oleander native to Tasmania, AN a plant native to mainland Australia Melaleuca alternifolia AN Paperbark Poa sp. AN Poa Grass Delonix regia E Poinciana Olearia argophylla TN Musk Monstera deliciosa E Monstera Populas sp. E Poplar and X a known environmental weed. Dicksonia antarctica TN Man Fern Photinia glabra var. rubens E Nadina domestica E Sacred Bamboo Quercus robur E English oak Diospryros sp. E Persimmon Chinese Fire Bush or Red-leafed Photinia High Flammability Nicotiana glauca AN Tobacco Bush Spiraea catoniensis E May Eriobotrya japonica E Loquat Pittosporum bicolor TN Cheesewood Pinus elliottii E Tasmannia lanceolata TN Escallonia macrantha E Escallonia These plants have been shown to be highly flammable and Slash or Elliott’s Pine Native Pepper Pteridium esculentum TN Euryops pectinatus E Bracken Fern should not be planted or allowed to remain inside your house’s Pinus patula E Ulex europaeus E X Gorse Yellow Daisy Bush Mexican or Weeping Pine Rhododendron sp. E Rhododendron Building Protection Zone. They should also be avoided in the Viburnum opulus E Guelder Rose Genista monspessulana E X Montpellier Broom Rosa sp. E X Roses, Briars Fuel Modified Zone. Move these plants away from your house Moderate Flammability Koelreuteria paniculata E Salix babylonica E Weeping Willow and replace them with less flammable plants. Golden Rain Tree Salix chilensis E Pencil Willow These plants should be avoided in the Building Protection Lantana camara E Lantana Sorbus aucuparis E Rowan Acacia dealbata TN Silver Wattle Zone. They should not be allowed dominate your garden and Ligustrum lucidum E Spathodea campanulata E Acacia stricta TN Hop Wattle should be well maintained, being especially careful to remove Large-leaved Privet African Tulip Tree Acacia verticillata TN Prickly Moses Liquidambar styraciflua E Syringa vulgaris E Lilac dead material before it accumulates. Liquidamabar Acer palmatum E Japanese Maple Weigela florida E Fairy Trumpets Magnolia grandiflora E Magnolia Acmena smithii AN Lilly Pilly Zieria arborescens TN Stinkwood Acacia baileyana AN X Aesculus hippocastanum E Cootamundra Wattle Common Horse Chestnut Acacia decurrens AN Green Wattle Low Flammability Allocasuarina cunninghamiana AN River Sheoak Acacia mearnsii TN Black Wattle These plants are acceptable in the Building Protection Zone Angophora floribuna E Acacia melanoxylon TN Blackwood and will be valuable replacements for more flammable plants. Rough-barked Apple Acacia podalyrifolia AN Mt Morgan Wattle Bambusa vulgaris E Bamboo Artemisia sp. E Actinidia chinensis E Banksia integrifolia AN Kiwi Fruit Wormwood or Angels Hair Araucaria heterophylla AN Coast Banksia Camellia sp. E Camellias Norfolk Island Pine Banksia marginata TN Honeysuckle Capsicum annum var. fasciculatum E Atherosperma moschatum TN Betula pendula E Silver Birch Chilli Sassafras Buddleia dandii E Butterfly Bush Datura suaveolens E Angels Trumpet Bedfordia salincina TN Blanket Bush Callistemon citrinus AN Diplarrena moraea TN White Flag Iris High flammability native — Teatree Beyeria viscosa TN Pinkwood Common Red Bottlebrush Gazania hybrida E Brachychiton acerifolius AN Treasure Flower Callitris rhomboidea TN Hebe speciosa E Veronica Oyster Bay Pine Illawarra Flame Tree Hemerocallis aurantiaca E Day Lilly Cassia javanica E Pink Cassia Eucalyptus paniculata AN Grey Ironbark High flammability exotic — Hydrangea macrophylla E Hydrangea Chamaecyparis lawsoniana E Low flammability exotic — Geranium Lawson Cypress Eucalyptus pulchella TN Japanese Maple Hymenocallis littoralis E White Peppermint Spider Lily or Spider Flower Cinnamomum camphora E Brachychiton discolour AN Lacebark Camphor Laurel Eucalyptus viminalis TN White Gum Hymenosporum flavum AN Brachychiton rupestris AN Bottle Tree Native Frangipanni Citrus limon E Lemon Exocarpos cupressiformis TN Native Cherry Calodendrum capense E Lampranthus aurantiacus E Cortaderia argentea E X Cape Chestnut Pigface or Iceplant Pampas Grass Flindersia australis AN Crow’s Ash Low flammability native — Dogwood Gahnia grandis TN Cutting Grass Canna indica E Canna Lily Lavendula angustifolia E Cupressus funebris E English Lavender Mourning Cypress Gleditsia tricanthos E Honey Locust Cassia floribunda E Smooth Cassia Passiflora herbertiana AN Pomaderris apetala TN Dogwood Dodonaea viscosa TN Native Hop Ceanothus papillosus E Pacific Blue Grevillea x Poorinda AN Native Passionfruit Prunus sp. E Plum Elaeocarpus reticulatus TN Poorinda Cultivars of Grevilleas Chaenomeles japonica E Pelargonium peltatum E Geranium Solanum melongera E Eggplant Blueberry Ash Grevillea robusta AN Silky Oak Flowering Quince Eucalyptus amygdalina TN Grevillea rosmarinifolia AN Chrysanthemum indicum E Chrysanthemum Black Peppermint Rosemary Grevillea Prepared by Mark Chladil and Jennifer Sheridan on behalf of Eucalyptus globulus TN Blue Gum Ilex aquifolium E X Holly Citrus nobilis E Mandarin Eucalyptus maculata AN Spotted Gum Lepidosperma laterale AN Sword Rush Coleonema pulchrum E Diosma the Tasmanian Fire Research Fund and Eucalyptus obliqua TN Leptospermum lanigerum TN Cotoneaster glaucophyllus E X the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens 1997, Rev. 2003. Brown Stringybark Woolley Teatree Cotoneaster Graphic Plus 1709 Introduction significant amounts of volatile oils, like the eucalypt family which includes eucalypts and tea-trees, should be avoided. All vegetation will burn in a bushfire and pose a hazard to people and their homes. However, not all vegetation has the The influence of plant shape is a lot more subjective: low same flammability and there is great potential for people growing plants and ground covers are better than shrubs; living in bushfire prone areas to reduce their fire hazard by plants with dense foliage are better than those with open airy changing the plants in their gardens. crowns; plants which don’t retain dead material are better than those which hold up lots of fuel; plants with smooth bark Why Plant Flammability is Important are better than those with ribbon and rough bark. During a bushfire, the type, amount and arrangement of The Role of Replacement Planting vegetation is critically important for the survival of your should be surrounded by a further zone where fuels are Environmental Weeds house. The fuel for bushfires is the main danger factor that Fire retardant plants can absorb more of the heat of the maintained at a low level (the Fuel Modified Zone). The All gardeners should be aware that some plants are not people can control. Hazard reduction activities such as approaching bushfire without burning than more flammable widths of these zones vary with slope from 10 to 50 metres, wanted in the bush even if they are valued in the garden. clearing and fuel reduction burning, aim to lower the plants. They can trap burning embers and sparks and reduce and descriptions, widths and other information can be found Unfortunately there are many ornamental plants which can vegetation hazard to a safe level. Because some plants have wind speeds near your house if correctly positioned and in the Tasmania Fire Service publication “Planning Conditions really take off when they get into the bush. Some do so well a higher resistance to burning than others, we can use low maintained. Fire resistant ground covers can be used to slow and Guidelines for Subdivisions in Bushfire Prone Areas” (1995). they choke out the natives, like blackberries, or become a fire flammability plants for added protection in addition to normal the travel of a fire through the litter layer and fire resistant When choosing fire retardant plants, other attributes should hazard, like gorse. maintenance and hazard reduction activities. shrubs can be used to separate the litter layer from the trees be taken into consideration such as their aesthetic appeal, above. Many environmental weeds were brought to Tasmania as There are two basic factors to be considered in determining a growth rate, resistance to drought and frost, and possibly ornamental or food plants and have found conditions to their plant’s flammability: the first is how readily its parts burn and If the low flammability plants sound like ornamentals and their ability to regenerate following fire. liking. Most are not particularly affected by pests and the second is how the form of the whole of the growing plant vegetables and the highly flammable ones sound like dry bush If fire retardant plants are to be grown, a firm commitment diseases and so have a head start over the local plants. influences the burning of the must be made to regularly Predicting whether a plant will become an environmental whole plant. “Flammability” maintain them or they may become weed is not easy so it’s good practice to use native plants in then is, or should be, the a fire hazard. This includes gardens close to bushland. Known environmental weeds in outcome of these two factors. sufficient watering, so a high leaf Tasmania that have moderate or higher flammability There are many lists of plants moisture content is maintained, should be doubly avoided and are shown on the plant in books but unfortunately the removal of dead material and flammability list. most should be treated with regular pruning of lower branches. suspicion because they haven’t Water availability is likely to be a For further information consult your local DPIWE or Council Garden been tested in an acceptable problem in the drier months when weed management officers. A useful pamphlet is “ Plants are Going Bush… and Becoming Environmental Weeds way. The trouble with a lot of the threat of fire is greatest. When ” published by the Society for Growing Australian Native Plants. the books is they don’t tell us which aspects of flammability and scrub: then you’ve got the idea. Obviously, on dry sites it choosing fire retardant species their water requirements are included and how they are combined. will be very difficult to grow wet forest plants so consider need to be considered. There is no point growing plants as a Protecting Your Home planting useful non-natives such as vegetables and fruit trees protective measure against fire if they are going to die when Testing the flammability of individual pieces of plant is Replacement planting with low flammability plants is not (most of which have very low flammabilities) or some of the they are most needed. Indeed, all dead plant material will be usually done by taking a section of leaf and subjecting it to a sufficient protection on its own. People living on the urban less flammable ornamentals as part of your fire proofing a fire hazard. flame and measuring how quickly it burns. If you are fringe and in rural areas need to be aware of the risk of strategy. Planting these species close to the structure and wondering about the flammability of a few different plants, It is also necessary to realise that establishing a fire bushfire and prepare themselves and their homes for when planting the natives further away also reduces the risk of you can get a good idea using an LPG torch on pruned retardant garden will take time, money and lots of hard work. the fire comes. The Tasmania Fire Service publication “Will these exotics escaping into the bush. Tasmania Fire Service branches. Plants will of course burn differently once they are Many plants do not reach maturity for up to 15 years and you survive?” provides good advice for householders on the recommends that around every house in bushfire prone areas dead and dry and so it is usual to test both green and dead therefore will not provide effective fire protection for some urban fringe and rural areas who want to prepare themselves there should be a zone where vegetation and other fuels are samples. Plants with broad fleshy leaves are better than time. In comparison, other plants have shorter life spans and and their homes for bushfires. This publication and other minimal (the Building Protection Zone) and that this zone those with fine hard leaves (sclerophyll). Those with may continually need to be replaced. advice is available from any Tasmania Fire Service office.