Weekly Tip 03/17/2020

Choose “Fire Smart” Plants

When selecting plants, keep the following tips in mind:

-Minimize using evergreen shrubs and trees within 30 feet of a structure since junipers, pinion, and pines contain oils which make these plants burn with great intensity.

-Select plants that are low-growing with high a moisture content.

-Deciduous trees like maples and ash trees are generally more fire resistant than evergreens because they have a higher moisture content when in leaf and a lower fuel volume when dormant, and they typically do not contain flammable oils.

Here is a list of a few fire resistant plants: Ground Covers: Iceplans, Veronica Speedwell Vines: Clematis, Honeysuckle Perennials: Columbines, Asters, Penstemons, Shrubs: Potentilla, Oregon Grape, Lilacs Trees: Maples, Ash