Planting for Safety : Horticulture experts say the type of greenery and the arrangement and maintenance of landscaping can help make homes fire-resistant.

The images are almost as searing as the flames that recently cut a destructive swath through Southern California: the solitary house untouched by the fire, standing amid the charred rubble of surrounding homes.

Did fire-retardant plants help save those homes?

Possibly. Wind conditions, the heat of the fire, topography, construction, roofing materials and other factors all played a role in the destructiveness of Southern California’s capricious blazes.

But fire safety and horticulture experts advise all homeowners to reconsider their landscaping and educate themselves on the proper use of fire-resistant plants--particularly now, during prime planting season.

“If you don’t have it (fire-resistant landscaping), you’ve reduced your chances” of saving a home in a fire, said Bob Collis, Los Angeles City Fire Department spokesman.

Experts say landscaping is the most important item in fire safety after roofing material. Although any plant can burn under the right conditions, properly designed and maintained landscape can greatly reduce the hazard.

Horticulturists say there are many fire-resistant plants that homeowners can consider for their property. But rather than rush out and buy large flats of ice plant, coyote bush or other fire-retardant species, homeowners should carefully plan and manage their landscaping.

“We need to get people to manage growth and choose wisely by putting plants in their proper place to minimize damage,” said Kevin Connelly, author and horticulturist at the Theodore Payne Foundation in Sun Valley, a nonprofit organization devoted to native flora.

For example, the Dwarf Coyote Bush, a low-growing, deep-rooted, drought-resistant plant, is highly recommended as one of the most effective fire-retardant species. But it can be a fire hazard if the lush green top growth covers a tangle of dry, unpruned branches and leaves.

Succulents, with their high water content, are also fire-resistant. In particular, ice plant, which grows quickly and low to the ground, is considered ideal for forming a fire break, said Mike Wronkowski, head of ground covers and bedding flowers at Green Arrow Nursery in Sepulveda.

But ice plant has shallow roots, making it undesirable for steep slopes because it offers virtually no protection against hillside erosion, particularly after a wildfire.

Complicating matters in Southern California is its changing climate, which creates hazards of its own and sometimes puts conflicting demands on property owners. For example, are drought-resistant plants fire-retardant? Not always. And what about frosts? Experts say a homeowner could plant a fire-retardant species only to see it die in the first freeze of winter because some plants are vulnerable to cold snaps, particularly in inland areas.

That’s why, horticulturists agree, arrangement, spacing and maintenance are just as important as plant type. They also advise homeowners to consult nurseries and landscaping experts to determine what is best for their property. And, they say, homeowners don’t have to sacrifice aesthetics when planting for fire safety.

“You can have an attractive landscape with a variety of plants and still have fire safety if you plan carefully and maintain it carefully,” Connelly said.

Despite the variations from lot to lot, the Theodore Payne Foundation and other experts offer some general rules of thumb when planning for fire protection:

* Plants less than 18 inches high, such as succulents, lawns, and plants with no dead growth are generally the most fire-resistant.

* Pines, junipers, eucalyptus and other oily trees that are highly flammable should be planted well away from the house and pruned of dead limbs regularly.

* If trees are to be planted near the house, homeowners should pick oaks, alders, maples, sycamores, buckeyes and other less flammable types.

* On slopes, low-growing, deep-rooted shrubs protect the soil but yield little that is flammable. Aside from coyote bush, Yankee Point ceanothus , bearberry, manzanita, and several low-growing varieties of sage and artemesia are good fire-retardant choices.

* Medium-sized, fire-resistant shrubs such as salt bush or quail bush are recommended for slopes, as are the blooming mid-size wild lilacs such as Santa Ana, Concha and Joyce Coulter varieties.

* Open spaces on slopes between newly planted ground-cover shrubs are well suited for annual wildflowers like poppies and lupines.

* Spacing is important for all cultivation--plants need to have plenty of room so they don’t pile up and create dead branches.

* Aromatics and other popular species are oily, but low-growing rosemary is considered a good ground cover for a slope.

* The area closest to the house is where homeowners should use the most water.

Greenery That Can Take the Heat

Here’s a list from the Theodore Payne Foundation of 20 fire-resistant plants that do well in this climate (the common name is followed by botanical name):

* Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) * Century Plant (Agave) * Yerba Mansa (Anemposis californica) * Prostrate Sagebrush (Artemesia californica “Canyon Gray”) * Wild Aster (Aster chilensis) * Four-winged Salt Bush (Atriplex canescens) * Quail Bush (Atriplex lentiformis) * Dwarf Coyote Bush (Baccharis pilularis “Twin Peaks”) * Yankee Point California Lilac (Ceanothus griseus horizontalis “Yankee Point”) * Hybrid Monkey-Flower (Diplacus hybrids) * Prostrate buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum “Warriner Lytle”) * Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) * Iva (Iva hayesiana) * Creeping Barberry (Mahonia repens) * Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris) * Scarlet Bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius) * Foothill Penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus) * Evergreen Currant (Ribes viburnifolium) * Dwarf Black Sage (Salvia mellifera “Pt. Mugu”) * California Fuchsia (Zauschneria)

Resources

* “Firescape: Landscaping to Reduce Fire Hazard,” East Bay Municipal Utility District. This booklet is available at Sperling Nursery, 24460 Calabasas Road, Calabasas, (818) 591-9111. Or you can write or call the East Bay Municipal Utility District, P.O. Box 24055, Oakland, Calif. 94623, (510) 287-0590.

Nurseries and fire agencies are good sources of information on fire-retardant landscaping.

The following, provided by the Theodore Payne Foundation, is some of the printed material on the subject.

* “Planting for Fire Safety and Erosion Control,” Theodore Payne Foundation, 10459 Tuxford St., Sun Valley, (818) 768-1802. This one-page handout gives practical advice on landscape management. Also available is a list of fire-retardant plants.

* “Homeowners’ Guide to Fire and Watershed Safety at the Chaparral/Urban Interface,” Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Forestry Division. This is a 35-page color booklet. Also, “Fire Hazard vs. Erosion Control,” a 10-page pamphlet. Both are available by calling (213) 881-2481.