There is no such thing as a plant that will not burn.

A fire resistant landscape is designed by selecting plants, which are less likely to ignite. Fire resistant plants can be damaged or killed by fire, but their foliage does not contribute to the fuel load.

It is important to remember, though, a fire resistant plant can burn if not properly maintained and irrigated. All plants will burn if hot enough and the conditions are right.

FIRE RESISTANT PLANT LIST FOR KERN RIVER VALLEY

Note:   Most bulbs and succulents are fire resistant and require moderate watering only.

Note:   Underline indicates plants with low to moderate watering requirements.

N indicates the plant is native to California.

* Shade tolerant or prefers shade.

Ground Cover

Achillea tomentosa - Wooly Yarrow - N

Arctostaphylos edmundsii - ‘Carmel Sur’ Manzanita - N

Arctostaphylos - ‘Emerald Carpet’ Manzanita - N

Astilbe sp. - False Spirea

Baccharis piluaris   ‘Twin Peaks’ Dwarf Coyote Bush

Ceanothus griseus - ‘Yankee Point’ Mountain Lilac - N

Cerastium tomentosum - Snow in Summer

Cotoneaster horizontalis - Rock Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster dammeri - Lowfast Cotoneaster

Geranium incanum - (House plant or annual) Geranium

Lantana montevidensis - (House plant or annual) Trailing Lantana

Lonicera japonica - Japanese Honeysuckle

Rosemarinus officinalis ‘Prostrata’ - Prostrate Rosemary

Salvia sonomensis - Creeping Sage - N

Sedum Species

          Acre (Goldenmoss)          Album

          Spurium

          Autumn Joy

          Anglicum

          Brevifoluin

          Cauticolum

          Dasyphllum

          Kamtschaticum

          Lineare

          Refloerum

          Sediforme

          Sieboldii

          Spathulifolium

          Spectible

          Spurium

          Telephium

          Vera Jameson

Perennials

Achillea sp. - Woolly Yarrow -N

Aconitum sp. - Monkshood - N

Adiantum capillus-veneris - Venus Hair Fern - N

Ajuga reptans - Carpet Bugle

Alyssum saxatile - Basket of Gold

Armera maritima - Common Thrift

Artemisia caucasica - Caucasian Sage Brush

Asclepias cordifolia - Purple Mikweed - N

Athyrium nipponicum ‘Pictum’* - Japanese Painted Fern

Agastache urticifolia - Horsemint - N

Aquilegia formosa - Red Columbine - N

Aquilegia (Columbine) - Over 60 varieties

Aruncus vulgaris* - Goats Beard  N

Asclepias fascicularis - Whorled Milkweed N

Bergenia cordifolia  Bergenia

Campanula *   Bellflower

Catandrinia grandiflora  Rock Purslane

Centranthus ruber  Jupiter’s Beard, Red Valerian

Coreopsis species Coreopsis

Convallaria, majalis, keiske, montana   Lily of the Valley

Delphinium       Larkspur N

Dicentra formosa  Pacific Bleeding Heart  N

Dicentra spectablilis Bleeding Heart

Digitalis           Fox Glove

Diplacus species (Mimulus)Cardinalis Hybridus

Dryopteris arguta* California Wood Fern N

Eriogonum giganteum St. Catherine’s Lace N

Eschscholzia californica  California Poppy

Fragaria chiloensis Wild Strawberry N

Gaillardia aristata   Blanket Flower N

Galium odoratum                    Sweet Woodruff

Helictrotrichol sempervirnes  Blue Oat Grass

Helleborus * argutifolius foetid

Hemerocallis species   Daylily

Hesperaloe parviflora  Red Yucca

Heuchera species  Americana

Brizoides      Canyon Series

                   Sanguinea (Coral Bells)

                   Micrantha   N

Hosta *        Plantain Lily

Iris*            Douglasiana N

                   Innominata   N

                   Foetidissima

Kniphofia uvaria - Red-hot Poker

Linum lewisii - Blue Flax - N

Lupinum - Lupine Argenteus - N              Silver Stem Sierra Nevada N

             Arboreuscoast N

             Nanus  N

             Polyphyllus N

Mimulus cardinale - Monkey Flower - N

Monardella villosa - Coyote Mint - N

Oenothera sp. - Evening Primrose - N

                  Caespitosa - N

                   Fruticosa   - N

                   Speciosa   - N

Paeonia brownie * - Western Peony N

Penstemon Species - Glaber.

          Cyananthus (Wasatch)

          Mensarum (Grand Mesa)

          Neomexicanus (New Mexico)

          Speciosus

          Strictus (Rocky Mountain)

          Virens (blue mist)

          Ambiguus (Prairie) - N

          Barbatus

          Davidsonii (Menziesii davidsonii) N

           Digitalis

           Eatonii (Firecracker) - N

           Grandiflorus

           Mexicali Hybrids

           Newberryi (Mountain Pride) - N

           Palmeri

           Parryi (Parry)

           Pinifolius

           Pseudospectabilis (Desert Beard Tongue) N

           Rupicola (Rock)

           Rydbergii - N

           Speciosus (Royal)  N

           Strictus (Rocky Mountain)

Phlox paniculata * - Summer Phlox

Polystichum mumitum * Sword Fern N

Prunus lyonii - Catalina Cherry N

Quercus vaccinifolia* - Huckleberry Oak N

Ribes, Current, Gooseberry - Alphinum (Alpine Current)

           Aureum (Golden Current) N

           Nigrum (Black Current)

           Odoratum

           Sanguineum (Pink Winter Current)

Romneya coulteri  - Matilija Poppy

Salvia species -  Argentea

             Azurea Grand (Prairie Sage)

             Dorrii (Great basin Blue Sage) N

             Nemorosa

             Officinalis (Golden Sage)

             Recognita (Turkish Sage)

             Sclarea (Clary Sage)

             Supurba

             Sylvestris (Deserta)

             Verticillata (Whorled Clary)

             Apiana ( California White Sage N

Senecio cinerari  - Dusty Miller

Silene lacianata* - Pink - N

Sisyrinchium bellum - Blue Eyed Grass N

Smilacina stellata - Skull Cap - N

Symphoricarpus albus * - Snowberry -N

Trillium* - Wake Robin - N

Zauschneria septentrionalis - Humboldt Fuchsia - N

Trees

Acer glabrum diffusum - Rocky Mountain Maple - N

Acer glabrum greenei - Greene's Maple - N

Acre negundo californicum - California Box Elder - N

Alnus rhombifolia - White Alder   N

Alnus teniufolia - Mountain Alder  N

Aesculus californica - California Buckeye N

Albizia julibrissin - Silk Tree

Amelanchier sp. - Service Berry - N

Arbutus menziesii - Madrone - N

Arbutus unedo - Strawberry Tree

Cercis occidentalis - Western Redbud - N

Cercis canadensis - Eastern Redbud

Cornus nuttallii - Sierra Dogwood - N

Corylus avellana - Filbert

Fraxinia sp. - Ash

Gleditsia triacanthos - Honey Locust

Lagerstroemia indica - Crepe Myrtle

Malus sp. - Crabapple

Populus tremuloides - Quaking Aspen - N

Pistacia chinensis - Chinese Pistache

Platanus racemosa - Sycamore - N

Prunus sargentii - Sargent Cherry

Pyrus sp. - Flowering Pear

Quercus 

   Suber (Cork Oak)

   kelloggii (Black Oak)

   wislizenii (Interior Live Oak) - N

Robinia sp. ‘Purple Robe’ - Purple Robe Locust

Umbellularia californica - California Bay - N

Shrubs

Aesculus californica - California Buckeye - N

Acer glabrum torreyi - Torrey Maple - N

Amelanchier Pallida - Pale Serviceberry - N

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi - Sierra Kinnickinnick - N

Arctostaphylos ‘Dr. Hurd’ - Manzanita - N

Atriplex canescens - Four-wing Saltbush - N

Buxus japonica - Japanese Boxwood

Berberis aquifolium - Oregon Grape - N

Caesalpinia gilliesii - Bird of Paradise Bush

Ceanothus maritimus ‘Point Sierra’ - California Lilac - N

Cercocarpus betuloides -Mountain Mahogany - N

Chilopsis Linearis -Desert Willow  - N

Cistus Species (Rockrose)                   Grayswood Pink

           Cyprius

           Laxus ('Snow White')

           Snow Fire

           Ledon

           Oblongifolius

           Platysepalus

           Ann Baker

           Jessamy series

           Sintenisii 

           Halimiocistus'Ingwersenii'

           Halimiocistus sahucii

Cornus occidentalis - Western Dogwood - N

Daphne cneorum burkwoodii

Epimedium * - Bishops Hat

Elaeagnus pungens - Silverberry

Euonymus occidentalis* - Western Burningbush - N

Euonymus Americana* -Strawberry Bush

Euonymus bungeanus* Winterberry

Hydrangea sp. - Hydrangea

Lonicera involucrata - Twinberry - N

Heteromeles arbutifolia - Toyon

Hypericum sp. - St. Johnswort

Ligustrum japonicum - Japanese Privet

Ligustrum texanum - Texas Privet 

Mahonia aquifolium - Oregon Grape - N

Shrubs cont.

Nandina domestica - Heavenly Bamboo

Osmanthus heterophyllus - Holly-Leaf Osmanthus

Pieris sp. - Lilly of the Valley Shrub

Photinia frazeri - Frazer’s Photinia

Podocarpus macrophyllus - Yew Pine

Prunus ilicifolia - Hollyleaf Cherry - N

Prunus virginiana var demissa - Western Choke Cherry - N

Punica granatum - Pomegranate

Pyracantha  - Firethorn

Ribes sp. - Goose Berry

Rhamnus californica - Coffee Berry - N

Rhododendron - Macrophyllum - N

Rubus parviflorus - Thimbleberry - N

Sambucus mexicana - Mexican Elderberry - N

Spirea densiflora - Mountain Spirea - N

Syringa sp. - Lilac - N

Viburnum dentatum - Arrowwood Viburnum

Grasses

Elymus sp. -  Blue Wildrye - N

Festuca - Fescue - N

Helictotrichon sempervirens - Blue Avena Grass

Nassella - Needlegrass  N

Melica - California Onion Grass N

Panicum virgatum - Prairie Sky Switch

Poa - Bluegrass - N

Bulbs and Succulents

Allium unifolium - Onion - N

Brodiaea - Brodiaea - N

Calochortus - Mariposa Lily - N

Chlorogalum pomeridianum - Soap Plant - N

Zigadenus - Camas - N

By careful selection and placement of plants around your dwellings, you can improve your odds of surviving a wildfire when it threatens. These plants should be placed such that beds are not continuous. Breaks in the plantings with lawn, gravel or mulch would help not to spread the wildfire. Proper maintenance includes watering, feeding and pruning to remove dead leaves and branches. Drip irrigation is one way to water these plants, isolating water only to the plant and suppressing the growth of weeds. Mulch also helps the plants retain higher moisture content, and suppresses the weed growth. With proper maintenance you will have an attractive yard that is fire safe and defensible.

What to do During a Wildfire

Tips for the Fire Safe Home      Checklist for the Fire Safe Home     Fire Safe Landscaping

Fire Safe Landscaping Guide     Checklist of Plants for the Fire Safe Home