By Shawn Looney
Now that the rainy season is upon us, the possibility of wildfire may have moved to the back of your list of things to be concerned about. On the other hand, this time of year is a great time to consider planting fire-resistant plants.
As a rule, highly flammable plants have several characteristics: They contain fine, dry, or dead material within the plants (think dry needles or dry leaves); their leaves, twigs and stems contain volatile waxes, terpenes, or oils; their leaves are aromatic (strong odor when crushed); their sap is gummy and resinous; they may have loose or papery bark. Juniper and arborvitae are examples of highly flammable plants that may make your house vulnerable if they are in close proximity to your buildings.
The Pacific Northwest has plenty of options when it comes to fire resistant plants, many of which are NW natives that require less care and watering than non-natives. Generally, fire resistant plants won’t readily ignite from a flame or other ignition sources such as blowing embers. Some perennial examples: lupine, salvia, penstemon, coralbells, blanket flower, and columbine. Plenty of shrubs are fire resistant too, including: Oregon grape, salal, rhododendron, azalea, vine maple, oceanspray, mock orange, and serviceberry. Trees, large and small, deciduous and coniferous, can also be fire resistant. Some good choices: Western larch, Ponderosa (or Willamette Valley) pine, flowering dogwood, Oregon white oak, chokecherry, and Mountain ash. Trees that are next to the house should be pruned to a height of 15-20 feet above the ground, to help prevent fire from reaching the house or tree crowns.
Linnton is a Firewise community. If you’d like to participate in our Firewise program, go to www.portlandoregon.gov/fire/wildfire or call 503-823-3700. Portland Fire & Rescue will provide a free evaluation of your property and give you advice on how to reduce your wildfire risk.