Fire-Resistant Landscaping Tips to Protect Your Home

When a fire strikes your neighborhood, moments count. The longer you can keep the fire away from your home, the better your chances of saving your assets.

One effective way to buy time during a fire is to landscape with fire-retardant plants.

Why Fire-Retardant Plants Matter

“Various plants have high moisture contents, which make them resistant to fire,” says Erik Katzmaier of Katzmaier Newell Kehr, a landscape architectural firm in Corona del Mar. “Sea fig, which is planted along the freeway, is 60% moisture.”

According to Jon Anderson, hazard reduction supervisor for the Orange County Fire Department: “One house had a hillside with a large patch of dwarf coyote bush. While all the other plants burned, the dwarf coyote was just slightly singed. The fire went right up to it and stopped.”

Common Fire-Resistant Plants

• Strawberry tree
• Carob tree
• Pineapple guava
• New Zealand Christmas Tree
• Pomegranate
• Oak
• Brazilian Pepper
• Oleander
• Cape honeysuckle
• Dwarf coyote bush
• Ice plants and other succulents

Fire-Safe Landscaping Requirements

In areas bordering wildlands, fire departments often require builders to use drought-tolerant, fire-retardant plants to form protective greenbelts.

“We haven’t lost any Orange County homes in a brush fire in the last few years, even though we had 297 vegetation fires in 1990,” says Capt. Dan Young of the Fire Department.

Creating Defensible Space

“By taking every precaution possible in your yard, you provide firefighters with defensible space,” says Young. Tips include:

• Remove or thin fire-prone vegetation
• Add fire-resistant plants
• Clean up dead or dying plant debris
• Irrigate properly to maintain plant moisture

Highly Flammable Plants to Avoid

The following plants contain high oil content and can explode in heat, spreading embers:

• Eucalyptus
• Junipers
• Sumacs
• Some pines
• Cedar and cypress
• Chamise and red shanks
• California sagebrush
• Common buckwheat
• Black sage
• Hopseed bush
• Fountain grass

Experts recommend removing these plants from within 50 feet of your home. If you choose to keep them closer, thin them out to prevent the “ladder effect.”

Spacing Guidelines for Fire-Prone Areas

“Fire takes the path of least resistance,” says Anderson. Maintain space between plants equivalent to their height and interplant with fire-retardant varieties.

Examples of Attractive, Low-Growing Fire-Retardant Plants

• Delosperma alba – white flowers
• Drosanthemum floribundum – pale pink flowers
• Lampranthus spectabilis – colorful, highly fire-resistant
• Cape weed
• Prostrate coyote bush – drought-tolerant
• Trailing gazania
• Myoporum parvifolium – excellent coastal groundcover

Landscaping for Different Lot Sizes

• Hillside Properties: 20-foot setback from house, followed by 50 feet of fire-retardant plants and 100 feet of spaced, fire-prone plants.
• Standard Neighborhood Lots: Keep all vegetation at least 10 feet away from structures.
• Limited Space: Use only fire-retardant plants and water them regularly.

Watering and Irrigation Tips

“Don’t let plants dry out,” says Anderson. “Dry plants are far more likely to burn. Use moisture meters if available from your local water department.”

While sprinklers may help keep landscapes irrigated, don’t rely on them in a fire emergency. Wind, water shutoff, or absence during a fire can render them ineffective.

Prevent Roof Fires

Keep plants away from rooftops. Overhanging vegetation can easily ignite and provide a path for flames.

“A highly flammable plant hanging over a roof or lying against a house is a fire hazard,” says Anderson. “Not having a shake roof isn’t enough protection.”

Maintenance Is Key

Even fire-resistant plants can catch fire if surrounded by dry debris. Regularly clean under trees, shrubs, and ground covers to remove flammable material.

Final Thoughts

“Though there are no guarantees, organizing your landscape can reduce the risk of fire damage,” says Anderson. “You’re dealing with Mother Nature—prepare accordingly.”

For more information on fire-retardant plants, consult “Trees and Shrubs for Dry California Landscapes” by Bob Perry, or contact the Orange County Fire Department at (714) 744-0400.