Fire-Resistant Vegetation as Privacy Screening

All plants will burn given the right conditions. The best privacy screening in wildfire prone areas is noncombustible screen panels (e.g. metal, masonry). 

To minimize the probability of wildfires igniting and spreading through our community, be mindful of your wildfire risks regarding the type of plants used for privacy screening around your home. If non-combustible screening is not an option, consider the following when designing, planting, or maintaining your privacy screening vegetation.

Proper plant care and maintenance is critical to mitigate wildfire risk, no matter the type of plant. However, low-flammability plants are more difficult to ignite and burn and are recommended when selecting plants for privacy screening between and around homes.

The vegetation planted between homes can be a readily ignitable fuel during a wildfire and significantly increase the probability of nearby structures catching on fire. No matter their species, use recommended maintenance guidelines to keep all plants healthy, lean, clean, and green around your home to give them the best chance to resist embers and heat.

Highly flammable plants like Leyland cypress, arborvitae, junipers, Italian cypress, or bamboo should not be used for privacy screening. They can ignite easily, burn intensely, and quickly spread fire to your home, accessory structures, or your neighbor's structures. When burning, highly flammable plants emit lots of embers and amplify the radiant heat around them, creating dangerous fires between structures. Many homes in Ashland have only 6 to 20 feet between them. What's between your home and your neighbors?

Highly Flammable Plants

Generally, highly flammable plants have:

• Fine, dry, or dead material within the plant, such as twigs, needles, and leaves
• Volatile waxes, terpenes, or oils in their leaves, twigs, and stems
• Strong odor when leaves are crushed
• Sap that is gummy, resinous, and has a strong odor
• Loose or papery bark

Fire Resistant Plants

While, generally, fire-resistant plants have:

• Moist and supple leaves
• Minimal dead wood and does not tend to accumulate dry/dead material within the plant
• Low sap or resin materials
• Sufficient water and nutrients to be healthy
• Fire-resistant does not mean fireproof. Even fire-resistant plants that are not well maintained can burn. Be sure to keep all of your landscape plants healthy with appropriate watering and pruning.

Maintenance is Critical!

As with any fire-resistant landscaping, maintenance is critical. Deep watering, mulching, and the removal of deadwood and leaves help to maintain the overall health of the plant, thereby reducing the flammability of the overall landscape. Keep the following maintenance tips in mind when preparing your vegetation for wildfire:

• Water adequately
• Fertilize as needed
• Control pests
• Prune to remove dead material
• Remove dry leaves or weeds that accumulate under and between plants

Heavy shearing or pruning may promote a dense outer crown, resulting in less sunlight reaching the interior of the hedge and causing dieback of twigs. This dieback will create flammable material in the center of even healthy, well-spaced shrubs and trees.

Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Publication

The 2023 OSU Extension Publication "Fire-Resistant Plants for Home Landscapes" contains suggestions for shrubs and trees that meet a variety of growing conditions and requirements. This publication provides examples of 'fire-resistant' shrubs and trees that can be used to create a more fire-safe home landscape while helping to provide the privacy you desire.