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5 Great Firefighting Plants

Creating the fire-safe landscape: what to plant and where to plant it

text by Kathleen N. Brenzel
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Create a fire-smart landscape by playing a zone defense

Read more about defensible landscaping

Note: There’s no completely fireproof plant. But click ahead for four plants that can slow a fire if they’re watered and pruned regularly.

2 /5 Photo by Mark Turner

Fire-smart plants: Bearberry

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

These mat-forming groundcovers have small green leaves that turn red in winter, and white to pinkish spring blooms.

Sun to light shade. Sunset climate zones A1–A3; 1–9, 14–24

3 /5 Photo by Linda Lamb Peters

Fire-smart plants: lavender

Lavandula dentata

The plant’s leaves contain scented oils, but it’s slow to ignite if watered regularly. (It’s one of the few water-wise plants that’s also fire-wise.)

Full sun. Zones 8, 9, 12–24.

4 /5 Photo by Proven Winners

Fire-smart plants: monkey flower

Mimulus

Many of these narrow-leafed perennials are well adapted to the dry West. Some have orange blooms; others scarlet or bicolored.

Full sun or part shade. Zones vary by species.

5 /5 Photo by Mark Turner

Fire-smart plants: ice plant

Delosperma

Ground­covers with succulent leaves and daisylike flowers of bright pink (D. cooperi) or yellow (D. nubigenum).

Sun or light afternoon shade in hottest climates. Zones 2–24.