Drought and Fire Protection Landscape Recommendations
From the Fire Department

Fire destroys hundreds of homes each year. It poses an even greater threat in many areas experiencing extreme drought conditions. Dry trees, grass and shrubs are more apt to catch fire quickly and they also increase the speed and intensity of a fire, making it harder to control and contain. The drought will also impact local water sources such as lakes and rivers, reducing the sources of available water that can be used to put out the fire.

Homes in California have been built in natural fire zones. Coupled with predicted climate change, many areas of California and our country are expected to get hotter and drier increasing the threat of fire. It has been proven that fire safe landscaping can help save your home. Now, more than ever, it is important to re-examine your fire danger and how you can help protect your family and property. The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) is pleased to offer some recommendations. This advice can help protect your property during fire season and help you prepare for predicted water shortages and climate change.

Create a Defensible Space

• Remove all dead plants, trees and shrubs. Keep your lawn well mowed and healthy and all plants pruned and well maintained.

• With much drier conditions, make sure you maintain your 30 foot fire break around your home. Be sure to include at least 30 to 100 feet around your home in your fire management plan. Any flammable solvents, liquids and other materials need to be safely stored in approved fire safe storage areas and containers. Thin trees and brush within this space and eliminate flammable grasses and plants growing under trees. As conditions get drier and hotter, the speed of fires will increase. Allowing a larger defensible space gives you more time to get out safety and the fire department more time to save your home.

• Space trees at least 30 feet apart and prune lower limbs to a height of at least 10 feet. Make sure there are no branches that hang over structures which could allow flames to jump to your home. Highly flammable trees such as eucalyptus and pine should be avoided or removed if located close to structures.

• Use fire resistant plants and do not plant in large masses. This helps prevent the fire from having the continuous fuel needed to carry the fire to your home. Close to your home use decorative rock, gravel, stepping stones, cement or stone garden art, stone walls or other items which can help modify, slow or break the path of a fire on your property.

• Consider using fire resistant plants that are also drought tolerant, along with water saving irrigation technology or a drip system that could help you maximize your water allowance.

• Plant beds should be filled with low flammable plants or decorative rock. All flowerbeds should be mulched. Mulch helps keep water in the soil and helps keep plants healthy. Be careful not to use pine bark, thick layers of pine needles or flammable mulches.

• Make sure water sources needed to fight the fire are working and easy to find. Plastic irrigation lines and parts are flammable and should be installed underground. As water becomes more scarce, it is even more important to conserve. The more resources available to help fight fire the better.

• Consider your entrance and exit defensible space. If it is lined with trees or other burning materials you may not be able to escape and/or the fire department may not be able to access your property and save your home.

Download an illustrated flyer about creating a Defensible Space from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Partial List of Drought-tolerant Plants

The following is a short list of drought-tolerant plant material. This list is only a starting point, and not the final word. Growing conditions in your yard and maintenance techniques and timing affect the relative fire-resistance and drought tolerance of plants. Those which generally have some fire-resistance are noted, as well as those which may suffer freeze damage inland. Spp. indicates more than one species is commonly grown.

R = Plants with some fire-resistance
F = Plants which may freeze inland

	Genus Species	Common Name
	Drought-tolerant Trees
R	Arbutus unedo	Strawberry Tree
R	Ceratonia siliqua	Carob Tree
R	Cercis occidentalis	Western Redbud
.	Cercocarpus betuloides	Mt. Mahogany
R	Quercus agrifolia	Coast Live Oak
.	Pistacia chinensis
R	Rhus lancea	African Sumac
	Drought-tolerant Shrubs
.	Arctostaphylos spp.	Manzanita
R	Atriplex spp.	Saltbush
.	Berberis spp.	Barberry
.	Ceanothus spp.	California Lilac
R	Cistus spp.	Rockrose
R	Cotoneaster spp.	Cotoneaster
R	Cotyledon spp.	No common name
R	Excallonia spp.	Escallonia
R	Feijoa sellowiana	Pineapple Guava
R	Galvesia speciosa	Island Bush Snapdragon
.	Garrya elliptica	‘Evie’ Garrya
.	Gaura lindheimerii	Garua
R	Heteromeles arbutifolia	Toyon
R	Nerium oleander	Oleander
R	Pittosporum spp.	Mock Orange
R	Prunus ilicifolia	Holly-Leaved Cherry
R	Prunus lyonii	Catalina Cherry
R	Punica granatum	‘Nana’ Dwarf Pomegranate
R	Pyracantha	‘Santa Cruz’ Pyracantha
.	Raphiollepis spp.	India Hawthorne
R	Rhamnus spp.	Coffee Berry
R	Rhus integrifolia	Lemonade Berry
R	Ribes viburnifolium	Evergreen Currant
	Drought-tolerant Groundcovers
R, F	Aloe spp.	Aloe
R	Armeria spp.	Sea Pink
R		Cposrosma kirkii
R, F	Drosanthemum floribundum	Ice Plant
R	Duchesnea indica	Mock Strawberry
R, F	Dymondia margaretae	No common name
R	Festuca rubra ‘Creeping’	Creeping Red Fescue
R	Fragaria chiloensis	Wild Strawberry
R	Gazania spp.	Gazania
.	Hypericum calycinum	St. John's Wort
R	Liriope gigantea	Giant Turf Lily
.	Mahonia repens	Creeping Oregon Grape
R	Malephora crocea	Ice Plant
R, F	Myoporum parvifolium ‘Prostratum’	Myoporuim
R	Phyla nodiflora	Lippia
R	Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’	Creeping Rosemary
R, F	Scaevola ‘Mauve Clusters’	Fan Flower
R, F	Sedum spp.	Stonecrop
	Drought-tolerant Perennials
R	Achillea spp.	Yarrow
R, F	Aeonium spp.	Succulents
R	Agapanthus spp.	Lily of the Nile
R, F	Agave spp.	Agave
R, F	Aloe spp.	Aloe
.	Bergenia spp.	Bergenia
.	Centaurea gymnocarpa	Dusty Miller
R	Convolvulus Cneorum	Bush Morning Glory
R	Coreopsis spp.	Coreopsis
R, F	Crassula spp.	Jade Plant
R	Dietes spp.	Butterfly Iris
R	Diplacus spp.	Monkey Flower
R, F	Echeveria spp.	Hen and Chicks
.	Erigeron spp.	Eleabane
.	Erysimum linifolium	Wallflower
R	Exchscholzia californica	California Polly
.	Geranium spp.	Geranium
.	Helichrysum petiolaturm ‘nanna’	Curry Plant
R	Hemerocallis (assorted)	Daylily
R	Heuchera maxima	Coral Bells
R	Iris spp.	Iris
R	Kniphofia uvaria	Red Hot Poker
.	Koeleria galuca	Blue Hair Grass
.	Lantana montevidensis (sellowiana)	Lantana
R	Lavandula spp.	Lavender
R, F	Limonium perezii	Statice
.	Linaria maroccana	Toad-flax
R	Nerine masonorum	Nerine
R	Oenothera berlandieri	Mexidan Evening Primore
.	Pelangonium peltatum	Ivy Geranium
R	Penstemon spp.	Penstemon
.	Perovskia atriplicifolia	Russian Sage
.	Romneya coulteri	Matilija Poppy
.	Salvia spp.	Sage
R	Santolina spp.	Lavender Cotton
.	Senecio spp.	Dusty Miller
.	Silene maritima	No common name
.	Sisyrinchium spp.	Eyed Grass
.	Stachys byzantina	Lamb's Ears
R	Trichostema lanatum	Woolly Blue Curls
R	Tulbaghia violacea	Society Garlic
.	Yucca spp.	Yucca
.	Zantedeschia aethiopica	Calla Lily
	Drought-tolerant Vines
R	Jasminum spp.	Jasmine
.	Rosa banksiae	Lady Bank's Rose
R	Solanum jasminoides	Potato Vine
R	Tecomaria capensis	Cape Honeysuckle
R	Trachelospermum jasminoides	Star Jasmine
.	Witeria spp.	Wisteria

Highly Flammable Plants:

Use these plants with extreme caution. They can be a hazard near buildings or wooden structures, and will need a higher level of maintenance. Keep any existing plants on this list clear of each other, free of any dry debris, and trimmed clear of any structures.

Those denoted with P are considered Pyrophtyes - they almost attract fire.

Pyrophtyes	Genus Species	Common Name
	Highly Flammable Trees
.	Abies spp.	Fir
.	Acacia spp.	Acacia
.	Cedrus spp.	Cedar
.	Chamaecyparis spp. except dwarf	Cypress, Cedar
.	Cryptomaria japonica except dwarf	Cryptomeria
.	Cupressus spp.	Cypress
.	Cupressocyparis	Cypress
P	Eucalyptus cladocalyx	Sugar Gum
P	Eucalyptus globulus	BlueGum
P	Eucalyptus viminalis	Manna Gum
.	Larix spp.	Larch
.	Palms (if fronds left untrimmed)	Palm
.	Oucea soo,	Spruce
P	Pinus spp. (including dwarf mugo)	Pine
.	Schinus spp.	Pepper Tree
.	Tamarix spp.	Tamarisk
.	Taxodium spp.	Bald Cypress
.	Taxus spp. except dwarf	Yew
.	Thuja spp.	Arbor-Vitae
.	Tsuga spp.	Hemlock
	Highly Flammable Shrubs
P	Adenostoma fasciculatum	Chamis, Greasewood
P	Adenostoma sparisfolium	Red Shanks
.	Artemesia californica	California Sagebrush
P	Baccharis pilularis consanguinea	Coyote Brush
.	Cytisus, Genista, Spartium	Brooms
.	Dodonaea viscosa	Hopseed Bush
.	Erigonum spp.	Buckwheat
P	Juniperus spp.	Juniper
	Highly Flammable Groundcovers
P	Baccharis spp. (when overgrown)	Coyote Bush
.	Hedera canariensis	Algerian Ivy
P	Juniperus spp.	Juniper
	Highly Flammable Perennials
.	Bamboo spp.	Bamboo
.	Cortaderia selloana	Pampas grass
.	Miscanthus spp.	Grasses
.	Muehlenbergia spp.	Deer Grasses
.	Pennisetum setaceum	Fountain Grasses
.	Salvia melilifera	Black Sage

These lists are in no way a "complete" list and do not intend to represent itself as such. The plants contained on this list are a compilation from many sources from around the state.

For more information about landscaping and selecting drought-tolerant, fire resistant plants contact your local nursery.

Also, read EBMUD's FIRESCAPE booklet about landscaping and structures designed for fire safety.