By Audrey Gillespie
Home landscaped with Firewise principles that survived a fire. US Fish & Wildlife Service photo
With the devastation wildfires have left in their wake this year, I thought “firescaping” would be a good topic for this space. First, however, I need to correct a serious error. Due to a miscommunication, the last horticultural extension article was credited to me. The wonderful column on gardening with children was actually written by Cheryl McCormick. Cheryl has been recognized as a past Texas Master Gardener of the Year because of her willingness to invest herself in the lives of local children through the Junior Master Gardener program. Thank you, Cheryl! I apologize for the error.
In preparing for this article, I spoke to Lieutenant Greg Goettsch of the Abilene Fire Department. He stressed the need for heightened awareness of the present wildfire danger even for those living within local urban areas, citing several major grass fires within the Abilene city limits that threatened structures. He stressed the importance of landscape maintenance as a preventive measure. This includes keeping your landscape well-watered, lawns mowed short, debris and dead plant material removed from your property, plantings trimmed back, and limbs overhanging roofs being cut back.
In addition to these emergency measures, what can you do to promote fire safety in your home landscape? The primary goal is fuel reduction, especially in the critical first 100’ surrounding your home. This area should be well-watered and provide space for fire department equipment in the event of a fire. Space low flammability plantings out. In an established landscape, consider thinning your plantings. Hardscapes (gravel paths, driveways, patios, etc.) can provide firebreaks. Using rock mulches in planting beds further reduces fire danger. If you use wood mulch, nuggets are a much better choice than shredded materials.
Use of fire resistant plants is also important. Plants should be drought-resistant with high leaf moisture. Look for plants that are easy to maintain, without much litter or dead wood. Trees should have open, loose branching. Succulents are a marvelous choice for this zone and do not have to be unattractive. A former neighbor of mine who was also a fireman landscaped the front of his house with succulents in a design that rivaled any I’ve seen for beauty.
Ice plants, or delosperma, are the number-one fire-resistant ground cover. Other good choices for ground covers include liriope, vinca, and hostas. Some good shrubs are butterfly bush, crape myrtle, American beautyberry, roses, red yucca, and viburnum. Shantung maple, redbud, Mexican buckeye, Mexican plum, and desert willow are a few of the better tree choices. These lists are by no means comprehensive. You can contact the Taylor County Extension Service at 325-672-6048 for more information on plant selection for our area.
Even more important is removing or not planting highly flammable materials in your landscape. These include resinous plants such as Afgan pines, cedars, junipers, and yaupon hollies. Lieutenant Goettsch said that junipers burn so hot and explosively that sparks can carry up to a mile away from the original point of ignition. Other shrubs to avoid include abelia, boxwood, ligustrum, Indian hawthorne, waxmyrtle, elaeagnus, and euonymus. Live oaks are also highly flammable. Again, research your choices before you plant.
Some more tips for a firesafe landscape:
- Remove “ladder fuels,” the vegetation between grass and tree tops.
- Store firewood away from house.
- Use care when refueling garden equipment.
- Store and use flammable liquids carefully.
- Dispose of smoking materials carefully.
This is just an overview of “firescaping.” For more information, consult these websites:
http://www.texasfirewise.com
http://www.abilenefiredepartment.org/safelandscape.htm
http://txforestservice.tamu.edu
You can send your questions about firesafe landscaping, or other gardening questions, to the master gardener hotline at bcmgtx@gmail.com. Until next time, happy (and safe!) gardening.
