Fire-Resistant Shrubs To Add To Your California Landscape

On average, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports a little over 700 wildland fires every year. While many of us focus on the ways to protect our homes against fires, we often forget that wildfire protection can start in our own lawns. Believe it or not, there are a slew of plants that can resist approaching fires and slow their approach to your home. While there are a ton of choices, we'll help you narrow down your search to four fire-resistant shrubs to add to your California landscape. If you're looking for smaller ones, consider French lavender and pumpkin monkey flower; meanwhile, western redbud and concha California lilac are the better options if you're after larger plants.

Now, it is important to know that just because the plants are fire resistant, it doesn't mean that they are fireproof. These plants can still burn or be destroyed in a fire; however, they do not easily ignite or fuel flames. Even so, these plants require maintenance and pruning to remove dead material and chemical content that could readily burn when ignited. 

Between Homeowner Association regulations and yard size limitations, it may be easier to plant smaller fire-resistant shrubs on your property, like French lavender and pumpkin monkey flower. If you're looking for a beneficial plant in your edible garden, consider planting French lavender. This plant is not only beautiful with its purple blooms, but also is low-maintenance, deer-resistant, and can attract pollinators in your area. Thanks to its high oil content and ability to survive in dry climates, French lavender won't easily set aflame. While this lavender doesn't need a lot of moisture to survive, to make it fire-resistant, you need to ensure it has enough water at all times.

Another vibrant, smaller shrub choice is the pumpkin monkey flower. These monkey flowers can tolerant droughts and are endorsed by the Los Angeles and Orange County fire departments as fire-resistant plants. This bright, orange plant has flowers that bloom almost all year long, making it not only a flame resistance barrier measure but a statement piece as well. Pumpkin monkey flowers look amazing in large quantities and will attract bees and hummingbirds. To enhance their fire safety, make sure to maintain these flowers after the blooming season by trimming away any dead foliage and branches.

If you have the space, larger fire-resistant shrubs like western redbud and concha California lilac plants are the way to go. Western redbud is the perfect addition to any yard that has a large, sunny patch, giving it enough space for drainage and growing. This redbud plant is a sight to see all year long with magenta flowers in the spring, yellow-to-red leaves in the fall, and dangling seed pods in the winter. Western redbuds are fire-resistant due to the fact that they're a deciduous tree with high-water content leaves but they also carry the added benefit of being immune to pests and diseases.

A beautiful, blue statement shrub that many Californians love is the concha California lilac. Due to its high-moisture content stems and green foliage, this native lilac is a great fire-resistant choice in your yard or along your fence line. The concha California lilac isn't a shrub that you can forget about, though. You must be on top of its maintenance, including pruning flammable dead material, watering infrequently, and keeping the soil dry. But if you keep up with it, the results are absolutely breathtaking with its vibrant blue flower clusters. Don't forget that these shrubs aren't the only plants you want in your yard if you live in a fire-prone region. There are a ton out there that match your expertise and color preference; all you need to do is go out and plant them.