Recent fires throughout California have made many homeowners ask themselves what else they can do to make their home safe. The answer is as close as your backyard. Fire-resistant landscaping can make a big difference. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that a neat, well-maintained yard means you’re fire-safe. That helps, of course, but it’s more about the type of plants along with strategic planning that boosts your chances when wildfires threaten.
First, start by creating a “defensible zone” around your home. California law requires property owners to create 100 feet of defensible space around homes and buildings. The best way to do this is to create a green zone area of 30 feet circling the home or place of business, surrounded by a 70-foot (or to where your property line is) area that is a reduced-fuel zone.
For your close-to-the-house green zone, remove all flammable vegetation and any dead or dying plants within 30 feet of your home. You may keep single trees or other vegetation that are trimmed of all dead and dying foliage and are well pruned and maintained. Remove any tree limbs that are touching your home, or within 10 feet of the chimney if you have a fireplace.
When choosing what you want to grow in that area, plants that are native to California are usually great for fire-safe zones, as they are naturally acclimated to dealing with fires and resist igniting and spreading. They are also often drought-resistance, so you’ll save in water bills too. Be sure to keep your green zone well-maintained and irrigated as needed. Check your local nursery, landscape professionals, or the UC Master Gardener Program online for advice on fire-resistant plants that are suited for your area.
For the 70-foot area surrounding your green zone, your first priority is to clean up any dead trees and shrubs that can act as fuel for fire. Check to see if tree limbs are encroaching on overhead lines and contact your telephone or power company for removal. Rock walls, creative hardscaping, flower beds and vegetable gardens all provide great ground cover for bare spaces and can act as effective firebreaks. When planting ground covers, choose fire-retardant species that resist ignition such as rockrose, ice plant and aloe. Ideas for fire-resistant shrubs that work great in California landscapes include hedging roses, bush honeysuckles, currant, cotoneaster, sumac and shrub apples.
Finally, get a professional’s advice. Contact our landscaping professionals here at Rainscape. We are located in Visalia, and work throughout California’s San Joaquin and Central Valley. Our team brings to the table a wide range of skills and experience to create beautiful, sustainable and fire-resistant landscaping for residential, commercial and public works projects.