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LANDSCAPE PLANTS WITH FIRE RESISTANT CHARACTERISTICS All of these listed are hardy in the Pacific Northwest I really need to stress that one
needs to PLAN before planting. I will include one of my own mistakes as soon as I get a picture. One also needs to understand that
all properties have microclimates, created by ones own home,
surrounding trees, prevailing wind patterns (especially in the summer)
and the structures of your neighbors. Useage of rock paths and
large rocks is also especially worth considering and can be very
attractive. SHRUBS Abelia Arctostaphylos columbianum (native) many great varieties to pick from. Arbutus unedo Berberis all varieties Cactus - Hardy speciesCaryopteris cland. "Blue Mist" Ceanothus Chaenomeles Cistus laurifolius and other dwarf forms Daphne burkwookdii (Carol Mackie Daphne) Eunoymous elatum (Burning bush) E. alatus Paxistima myrtifolia (Oregon Boxwood) Pyracantha Phormium tenax (dwarf forms) Rhomneya coulteri Garrya eliptica (slow) Mahonia aquifolium, repens or others Perovskia (Russian Sage) Rhododendron mac. Pacific Rododendron and other specie Rhododendrons. 'occidentale' N. Rhamnus frangula 'Aslenifolia' Ribies species Western Flowering Current (N) Some dwarf forms are available. Rosa Rugosa Salix purpurea (very nice with carex comans) Spirea species. Some are native such as S. douglasia. I however love "Limemound" Viburnums Wiegelia Yucca (dwarf varieties) Ribies sanguineum
GROUNDCOVERS Achilea dwarfs such as A. tomentosat. Ajuga dwarf varieties (for shadier situations) Anacyylus depressus (Atlas Daisy) Antennaria rosea (pussytoes) Arctostaphylos uva ursi (nice with wooly thyme) Campanula (many varieties) Ceanothus gloriosus Cerastium (Snow in summer) can be very invasive! Deleosperma (dwarf hardy iceplants) cooperi and nubignum Dianthus (dwarf species) Fragaria chiloensis (dwarf miniature strawberry) (Native) 'Green Pastures' is a nice choice. Pachysandra (plant with native ginger) for shady sites. Pensteman pinifolius. There are many other forms of dwarf penstemons as well P. barrettiae (N) Zauschneria californica Sedum hispanicum as well as many others. S. Nevii Sempervivum - Heuvellii (Hen and chicks -- hundreds to pick from). Thymes such as T. Pink Chintz
A totally scared and immature hawk that landed on my roof after the "red, white and blue fireworks." I believe it survived, but how many do not? These deaths are rarely documented and yet property owners of hawk/eagle nesting zones are supposed to be protected and failing to do so can leave one with mind boggling fines or confiscation of property! That said, July is a time for many young birds to mature and I wonder at the ever diminishing number of the birds I once had around my home. Fireworks?? Perhaps. I really have a problem with the many double standards of Washington State. Reservation (Independent sovereign nations) continue selling illegal fireworks ... and BTW offer great disclaimers with their adds, such as " Do not use where not allowed, yet post adds as below." BOOM TIME Snoqualmie Fireworks A more responsible site with alternatives can be found here. Regarding Boom Time and their near pornographic site of fireworks. (Poor website I might add) Guess what, near everwhere! Yet, if some kids sets my 'eagle nest tree' on fire and kill the birds -- I the property
owner may be held liable, not the tribe.
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PERENNIALS Artemesia Bergenia cordifolia Chyrsanthemum hosmariense (new name now) Daylillies use dwarfs Erysimum kotschyanum Hardy geraniums. Dwarf cranebill geraniums. Can be weedy! Heuchera (Coral Bells) Hellianthemum (sun rose) Hosta, dwarf or large forms for shadier moist areas. Iris unguicularis Kniphofia (Poker Plants) Dwf. forms only Lewisia species. Pacific Coast Iris Potentilla Yarrow TREES Acer circinatum (native) or Korean Maple. A. pseudosieboldianum Alders and Birch Cercis species Eleagnus angustifolia Hippophae rhamnoides Japanese Hornebeam Myrica californica Prunus laurocerasus Prunus lusitanica Tsuga heterophylla Quercus garryana (N) OAK Usually too large for the garden. Red Oaks and Pin Oaks are more suitable. VINES Campsis radicans (Trumpet vine) Lonicera (honeysuckle) ??? Vitis purpurea (dwarfish purple foliaged grape)
If you know of any others I should include please contact me. Many more varieties are out there, especially if you live in milder climates.
Fire conditions and forest fires will get worse and funding for prevention has been lost to the costs of fighting them. A must read ! LETTER TO MY FIRE DISTRICT
Anyhow, I was a bit surprised when the Daily News printed an article of a former Fire Chief presenting a course of “Fire Resistant Plants” at the Masters Gardeners. So much like what I have posted and sent to the Daily News weeks ago and to the Fire Chief in Sequim in 1995. As expected the newspaper did not print my article on Fireworks as it would offend. Trouble being that a Canadian company now owns ALL the newspapers in Clallam County. Bit of a problem there! (Black Press -- so appropriate! They also tried to absorb the Pt. Townsend newspaper as well. Just a strange set of circumstances? I did edit it and added
more suggested plants. More will be done when I have time. Including a
damning photo of my own place and my own bad landscaping.For now I
picked on your own or lack of it. Many, Many years ago I suggested the
City of Sequim, or the Fire station should do a display garden of
fire-resistant plants/landscaping which would also include nice rocks!
The second link is the plant list I gave to the Fire marshal back in
the mid nineties.
I will print out some things to present to the commissioners
next week. So many issues aside from the fire fighting costs to
fireworks. Toxic metals in the fireworks, Air pollution, environment
degradation. Ediz spit clean-up costs. Costs to the district and
county to fight fires set by illegal fireworks etc. Just
following the fireworks an immature hawk landed on my roof. Did it get
spooked by the fireworks that continued way past the time period
allowed? I think so. Add Dept. of Wildlife to my list..
Many
years ago the local fire dept. and the DNR responded to a fire near the
Fish Hatchery. That logged off property belonged to a friend of mine
and there where a lot of burn piles (fuel) ready to ignite. Thankfully
you stopped it from spreading. It is my hope that if the
county commissioners cannot achieve any change due to politics, that
perhaps the Fire Districts could talk to the four tribes and perhaps
put an end to the “illegal” stuff and substitute alternative means of celebration.
Legal stuff can also damage as the grandson of a second client of mine set off ground fireworks that caused a grass fire that came damn close to taking out the barn. In my own case, I picked off five bombs that had landed within five feet of my house and the Bay tree I have pictured. Anyhow, I hope this helps a bit. My own gut feeling is
that we have been fortunate in regards to massive wildfires caused by
lightning. When I was in my 20’s I did my volunteering in Santa
Cruz, CA and was involved in one hell of a fire. I never hope to see
that ever again. Eucalyptus, Oak, Poison Oak and Redwoods. It became a
crown fire. I spent days mopping up and then weeks on steroids for the
poison oak inhalation.
Mind you since then, the Park system successfully destroyed two wonderful water resource dams. I was never an admirer of this damn removal project. Not only have we removed two water tanker load zones to protect Clallam Co. but if the weather becomes drier, these removals will also affect water storage that we may well need as our climate gets drier and as long as the realters keep selling property. The closest fresh water airborne tanker refueling zone will be Lake Crescent or the shallow Lake Ozette near Neah Bay. I think I preferred the closer sites next to Port Angeles. In the meantime we should all remember the Great Forks Fire in 1951. I knew someone who fought in that conflagration and be in on the Miller Penninsula or elsewhere, it WILL happen again.
(C) Herb Senft July 2013
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