READYFirewise. Waterwise.
Choose Your Plants Wisely
Fire-safe landscaping uses fire-resistant plants that are strategically planted to resist the spread of fire to your home. Fire resistant plants are great in Marin because they are often drought tolerant, too. Some plants burn readily, and should be removed or avoided at any cost.
FIRE RESISTANT PLANTS
Fire Resistant plants are the cornerstone of a home's Defensible Space, however all plants will burn if poorly maintained. Choose a fire resistant species, maintain plant health, irrigate, and remove all dead material regularly.
Characteristics of Fire Resistant Plants
Fire-safe landscaping uses fire-resistant plants that are strategically planted to resist the spread of fire to your home. Fire-resistant plants are great in Marin because they are often drought tolerant, too.
- Leaves tend to be supple, moist and easily crushed.
- Trees tend to be clean, not bushy, and have little deadwood.
- Shrubs are low-growing (2') with minimal dead material.
- Taller shrubs are clean, not bushy or twiggy.
- Sap is water-like and typically does not have a strong odor.
- Most fire-resistant trees are broad-leaf deciduous (lose their leaves), but some thick-leaf evergreens are also fire-resistant.
The good news is, you don’t need a lot of money to make your landscape fire safe. Fire-safe landscaping can increase property value and conserve water while beautifying your home.
Learn about the history and science behind FIRESafe MARIN's fire-resistant plant recommendations.
Trees
Fire Resistant Trees are often broad-leaf deciduous (lose their leaves) or thick leafed evergreens.
Shrubs
Fire resistant shrubs tend to be low growning, with minimal dead material and supple leaves.
Hedges &Screens
Fire resistant privacy screens are a good choice to replace fire prone plants like bamboo and cypress. FIRE-PRONE PLANTS
Many plants are particularly susceptible to fire. Some plants ignite readily and burn intensely, and should be removed if present in a home's Defensible Space zone or close to roads and driveways.
FIRE PRONE PLANT CHARACTERISTICS
Many plants are particularly susceptible to fire. Some plants ignite readily and burn intensely, and should be removed if present in a home's Defensible Space zone or close to roads and driveways. Fire-prone plants typically share certain characteristics:
- They are often blade-leaf or needle-leaf evergreens.
- They have stiff, woody, small or fine, lacey leaves.
- Their leaves and wood often contain volatile waxes, fats, terpenes or oils (crushed leaves will have strong odors).
- Their sap is usually gummy, resinous and has a strong odor.
- They usually contain plentiful fine, twiggy, dry or dead materials.
- They may have pubescent (hair covered) leaves.
- They may have loose or papery bark.
- These plants flame (not smolder) when preheated and ignited with a match.
Some Plants Were Made to Burn
Many plants are particularly susceptible to fire. Some plants ignite readily and burn intensely, and should be removed if present in a home's Defensible Space zone or close to roads and driveways.
Juniper
Juniper is a common landscaping plant in Marin. Deceptively green, it is often planted along patways and driveways, a recipe for disaster when a homeowner finds their escape blocked by a wall of flames. Juniper should be removed within 30' of structures, and 15' of driveways or roadways.Bamboo
Bamboo is a fast growing grass species that can make a good privacy screen - as long as you live in outside fo the Wildland Urban Interface. When exposed to flames or wind blown embers, bamboo ignites readily and will take your house with it. Bamboo within 30' of structures, or 15' of driveways should be removed and replaced with a fire resistant hedge or privacy screen plant.
Cypress, Thuja, Arborvitae
These evergreen conifers are valued for their screening properties and low maintenance. Like juniper, they are explosively flammable, and should never be planted in the Marin's Wildland Urban Interface.
FIRESafe MARIN first published a list of common fire prone plants in 1998. This list, created with the help of the University of California Cooperative Extension, was later adopted by the County of Marin and all Cities and Towns for their Fire Standards, expressly prohibiting the planting of these species for new home and remodel construction. Fire inspectors may require removal of existing plants on this list if they threaten your home or neighbors.