Fire-Resistant Plants for Home Landscapes Selecting Plants That May Reduce Your Risk from Wildfi Re
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FFIREIRE--RESISTANTRESISTANT PPLANTSLANTS FORFOR HHOMEOME LLANDSCAPESANDSCAPES Selecting plants that may reduce your risk from wildfi re PNW 590 • August 2006 A Pacifi c Northwest Extension publication Oregon State University • Washington State University • University of Idaho Thanks to our partners and funding source: Oregon Department of Forestry Washington State Department of Natural Resources Funding for this publication provided by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management through a National Fire Plan Grant CONTENTS Introduction ..................................................................2 Protecting your family and home ..............................2 Taking action .............................................................2 What are fi re-resistant plants? ..................................3 Fire-resistant does not mean fi reproof ......................3 Selecting fi re-resistant plants ....................................4 A caution about decorative bark mulch ....................4 A note about hardiness zones ....................................5 How this plant list was developed .............................6 Key for symbols .........................................................6 Groundcovers ...............................................................7 Perennials ...................................................................12 Shrubs—Broadleaf Evergreen ...................................22 Shrubs—Deciduous ...................................................25 Trees—Conifer ...........................................................33 Trees—Deciduous ......................................................34 Appendix ....................................................................44 Plant availability .....................................................44 Author contact information .....................................44 Photo acknowledgments ..........................................44 Index ................................................. Inside back cover Amy Jo Detweiler, Extension horti- culture faculty, and Stephen Fitzger- ald, Extension forestry faculty, Deschutes County, Oregon State University. OSU Extension Service, Deschutes County offi ce, 3893 SW Airport Way, Redmond, OR 97756; http://extension.oregonstate.edu/ deschutes/ 1 INTRODUCTION Fire-resistant Plants for Home Landscapes Selecting plants that may reduce your risk from wildfi re Protecting your where potential fuel (materials These actions DO NOT ensure or vegetation) have been modi- that your home will survive a family and home fi ed, reduced, or cleared to create wildfi re, but they substantially n the Pacifi c Northwest, a barrier and slow the spread of increase the chances. fi res are a natural part of wildfi re toward your home. A Ithe changing landscape. As defensible space also allows room Taking action homeowners continue to build in for fi refi ghters to fi ght the fi re When landscaping around a the wildland-urban interface, they safely. home, most homeowners are must take special precautions to interested in creating a landscape protect their lives, homes, and Three critical steps in creating a that is aesthetically pleasing, property. defensible space include using fi re-resistant building materials complements their home, and has One way to do this is to create (for example, roofi ng materials), variations in color, texture, fl ow- a defensible space around your reducing wildland fuels around ers, and foliage. When selecting home. This is the area between the home, and using fi re-resistant plants, you also should consider your home or other structures, plant material in the landscape. the fl ammability of plants Figure 1.—A fuel break that includes fi re-resistant plants can help protect your home by reducing and blocking intense heat. 2 INTRODUCTION (i.e., fuel), particularly if your Fire-resistant does • Sap is gummy, resinous, and home is located in or adjacent to has a strong odor. a forest or rangeland. not mean fi reproof • May have loose or papery bark. Plants that are fi re-resistant have Homeowners should take active the following characteristics: Both native and ornamental steps to minimize or reduce the • Leaves are moist and supple. plants can be highly fl ammable. fuel and fi re hazard around their • Plants have little dead wood An example of a highly fl am- homes, including the use of fi re- and tend not to accumulate dry, mable shrub often planted in resistant plants in the landscape. dead material within the plant. home landscapes is spreading or Equally important is proper upright juniper (see Figure 2). plant placement, plant spacing, • Sap is water-like and does not Avoid landscaping with highly and ongoing plant maintenance. have a strong odor. fl ammable plants directly around These practices, when combined, • Sap or resin materials are low. your home. can create a fuel break and help protect your home by blocking Most deciduous trees and shrubs Adapted from University of Cali- intense heat (see Figure 1). are fi re-resistant. fornia Cooperative Extension Hortscript, 1996, No. 18. Flammable plant material in your In contrast, plants that are highly landscape can increase the fi re fl ammable generally have sev- risk directly around your home. eral of these characteristics: The 1991 Oakland Hills fi re in • Contain fi ne, dry, or dead California is a prime example of material with- how fl ammable plant material in the plant, (Eucalyptus trees) can act as fuel such as twigs, and contribute to the intensity needles, and of a wildfi re. More than 3,000 leaves. homes were destroyed in that • Leaves, twigs, devastating wildfi re. and stems contain vola- What are fi re- tile waxes, terpenes, or resistant plants? oils. Fire-resistant plants are those that • Leaves are do not readily ignite from a fl ame aromatic or other ignition sources. These (strong Figure 2.—Juniper is one example of a highly fl ammable plant, due to the accumulation of old, dead needles within plants can be damaged or even odor when the plant (see inset photo) and volatile oils in the foliage. killed by fi re; however, their foli- crushed). age and stems do not signifi cantly contribute to the fuel and, there- fore, the fi re’s intensity. There are several other signifi cant factors Fire-resistant does not mean fi reproof! that infl uence the fi re character- istics of plants, including plant Even fi re-resistant plants will burn if not well moisture content, age, total vol- maintained. Be sure to keep all of your land- ume, dead material, and chemical scape plants healthy with appropriate water- content. ing, proper pruning, etc. 3 INTRODUCTION Selecting fi re- resistant plants There is a wide array of trees and other plants from which to choose that are both attractive and fi re-resistant. This publication provides a diverse list of plant material divided into perennials, groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. The plants in this publication are adaptable to several regions in the Pacifi c Northwest and other west- ern states. Check with your local Extension offi ce or a nursery to fi nd out which plants are adapt- able to your area. Annuals Figure 4.—A well-maintained lawn can be included in a fi re-resistant land- Annuals (see Figure 3) can be scape and serves as an effective fuel break. part of a fi re-resistant landscape if well watered and well main- you landscape with bark mulch tained. We have not listed each Turf up against your home, make sure of these due to the large num- A well-maintained lawn can be it remains moist to prevent igni- ber of annuals available to the included in a fi re-resistant land- tion. You may also consider using homeowner. scape and serves as an effective fuel break (see Figure 4). For less fl ammable types of mulch, more information on lawn care such as gravel or decorative rock, and maintenance, ask for publica- or a combination of wood bark tions from your local Extension mulch and decorative rock (see offi ce. Figure 5). A caution about decorative bark mulch Bark mulch is often used in home land- scapes. However, Figure 3.—Annuals can be part of fi rebrands from a a fi re-resistant landscape if well wildfi re or cigarettes Figure 5.— A combination of wood bark mulch sur- watered and well maintained. can ignite dry bark rounded by decorative rock is less fl ammable than mulch, conveying the wood bark mulch alone, and it will not scorch plants. fi re to your home. If 4 INTRODUCTION A note about There are other climate zones and hardiness maps besides the hardiness zones USDA’s, but these are not uti- When you are selecting plant lized universally as is the USDA material for your landscape, be hardiness zone map. Hardiness sure to choose plants that are ratings or zones are meant to be adaptable to your area and right used only as a guide, not as an for your hardiness zone. Hardi- absolute for plant selection and ness refers to the ability of a plant survivability. to withstand an average minimum Numerous other factors contrib- temperature. Often a plant catalog Figure 6.—Example of a plant tag, or plant tag (see Figure 6) will which includes hardiness zone along ute to whether or not a plant will indicate hardiness zone followed with other plant characteristics. survive, including soil type, rain- by a number. This number is fall, heat tolerance, and exposure based upon the hardiness zones tolerant of cold temperatures). to wind and sun. derived from a map developed by These zones are broken down the United States Department of further into parts “a” and “b” for Remember to think about the Agriculture (USDA). The USDA even greater accuracy. Each zone microclimates