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Wednesday, July 19, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Fight fires with appropriate landscaping
By Kym Pokorny
Correspondent
CORVALLIS – Drawing
a line around the house with
fire-resistant landscapes can
mean the difference between
a home consumed by flames
and one left standing.
“Fire specialists often
show pictures of houses where
people took adequate precau-
tions,” said Brad Withrow-
Robinson, forester with
Oregon State University’s
Extension Service. “I’ve seen
lots of photos of land charred
all around and a house
left standing in the middle
because the owners created a
fire-resistant space next to it.
Not always, but often.”
It’s fire season again, and
people who live in rural areas
or on rural-urban boundaries
throughout the state need to
exercise caution.
People should create and
maintain “defensible space”
around their homes. Among
other things, these areas
should be free from brush,
debris and firewood, have
irrigated zones near the house
and use fire-resistant plants.
“No plant is fire-proof,”
said Brooke Edmunds, a
horticulturist with OSU’s
Extension Service, “but some
are considered fire resistant.”
In general, these are plants
with more supple leaves with-
out a waxy or resinous sur-
face. Such plants don’t read-
ily ignite. They may be dam-
aged or even killed by fire,
but their foliage and stems
don’t significantly contrib-
ute to a fire’s intensity, said
Amy Jo Detweiler, an OSU
Extension horticulturist. In
essence, they can create a
living wall that reduces and
blocks intense heat. However,
she stressed that fire-resistant
plants will burn if not watered
and pruned properly.
Some plants to consider
include:
Carnation (Dianthus): An
evergreen ground cover that
grows to about 6 to 9 inches
tall and 15 inches wide, has
pink flowers that appear in
June and July and is hardy
in Zones 3-9. It takes partial
to full sun, attracts birds and
butterflies and grows well in
rock gardens.
Tickseed (Coreopsis):
A perennial with yellow,
orange, maroon or red flow-
ers that bloom from March
through November if kept
deadheaded. The blossoms
entice butterflies and the
seeds are attractive to birds.
Grow in part to full sun in
well-drained soil. Hardy in
Zones 3-9.
Delphinium: A perennial
that prefers well-drained soil
and grows upright to 2 feet
and gets 18 to 36 inches wide.
The blue, pink, purple or
white flowers bloom in March
and April. Delphiniums take
partial to full sun and need
well-drained soil. Hardy in
Zones 5-9.
Daphne (D. x burk-
woodii): A 3- to 5-foot, semi-
evergreen shrub with highly
fragrant white to pink flowers
that bloom in May and June
and attract butterflies. This
plant needs partial shade and
well-drained soil with a neu-
tral pH. Hardy in Zones 4-8.
Black oak (Quercus velu-
tina): A deciduous tree with
a spreading crown and good
fall color. Grows 50 to 60 feet
tall and wide. The diminutive
flowers in March through
May appeal to birds and but-
terflies. Acorns attract wild-
life. Grows in full sun and
is drought tolerant. Hardy in
Zones 3-9.
No plant is fire-proof,
but some are
considered fire resistant.
— Brooke Edmunds
More information is avail-
able in the 48-page guide,
Fire-resistant Plants for
Home Landscape, written
by Detweiler and Stephen
Fitzgerald, an Extension for-
ester, and produced in col-
laboration with Washington
State University and Idaho
State University. It highlights
plants appropriate for all
areas of the Northwest.
In addition to planting
fire-resistant plants, Edmunds
recommends the following
precautions:
• Move plants, especially
flammable ones, away from
the house.
• Clean up dead brush and
debris and move firewood
away from buildings.
• Trim trees and shrubs to
keep them 10 feet apart.
• Use non-flammable
mulch such as rocks near
structures.
• Have irrigated zones
around the home’s perimeter.
• Remove debris from
roofs and gutters.
• Remove lawn close to
the house or keep it closely
cropped and watered.
• Keep potted plants well
irrigated.
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