Basic Vegetation Management Guidelines for Landscapes in Defensible Space
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While the County of Monterey encourages proper management of fire loads around homes, trimming trees and vegetation to reduce fire fuel loads may require a permit. Depending on the area and type of vegetation being impacted, some minor trimming of vegetation is allowed without a County permit.
Please see the HCD Defensible Space website and the CalFire website https://www.readyforwildfire.org for additional information.
Landscape Maintenance Musts
- Prune out dead foliage and branches.
- Clean up fallen leaves and plant litter.
- Eliminate "fire ladders" - an arrangement of plants that provide fuel for a fire to climb from ground covers or shrubs and up into treetops or structures.
| Fire Resistant Plants for Landscapes | |
| Shrubs - Botanical Name / Common Name | |
| Arctostaphylos species * / Manzanita | Helianthemum nummularium / Sunrose |
| Buxus microphylla japonica / Japanese Boxwood | Heteromeles arbutifolia * / Toyon |
| Carissa grandiflora / Natal Plum | Myrica californica * / California Wax Myrtle |
| Ceanothus griseus horizontalis * / Wild Lilac | Prunus ilicifolia / Catalina Cherry |
| Cistus salvifolius / Rockrose | Punica granatum / Pomegranate |
| Convolvulus cneorum / Bush Morning Glory | Rhamnus californica */ Coffeeberry |
| Coprosma kirkii / Coprosma | Rhus integrifolia * / Lemonadeberry |
| Diplacus aurantiacus * / Bush Monkey Flower | Ribes viburnifolium * / Evergreen Currant |
| Escallonia species / Escallonia | Romneya coulteri * / Coulter's Matilija Poppy |
| Feijoa sellowiana / Pineapple Guava | Simmondsia chinensis / Jojoba |
| Gambelia speciosa * / Showy Island Snapdragon | Xylosma congestum / Shiny Xylosma |
| Garrya species * / Silktassel | |
| * Denotes California Native Species | |
| Ground Covers - Botanical Name / Common Name | |
| Ajuga reptans / Carpet Bugle | Myoporum parvifolium / Myoporum |
| Armeria species / Sea Pink | Oenothera berlandieri / Mexican Evening Primrose |
| Bergenia species / Bergenia | Osteospermum fruticosum / African Daisy |
| Erigeron glaucus * / Seaside Fleabane | Phyla nodiflora / Lippia |
| Erigeron karvinskianus * / Santa Barbara Daisy | Salvia sonomensis * / Creeping Sage |
| Fragaria chiloensis / Wild Strawberry | Santolina chamaecyparis / Lavender Cotton Santolina |
| Lantana montevidensis / Trailing Lantana | Scaevola 'Mauve Clusters’ / Fan Flower |
| Liriope gigantea / Liriope gigantea | Trifolium fragiferum / Strawberry Clover |
| * Denotes California Native Species | |
| Succulents - Botanical Name / Common Name | |
| Aeonium species / Succulents | Echeverlia species / Hen and Chicks |
| Agave species / Agave | Hesperaloe species / Red Yucca |
| Aloe species / Aloe | Opuntia species / Prickly Pear Cactus |
| Bulbine species / Bulbine | Portulacaria afra / Elephant Bush |
| Crassula argentea / Jade Plant | Sedum species / Stonecrop, etc. |
| Dudleya species / Chalk Lettuce | Yucca species / Yucca |
| Vines - Botanical Name / Common Name | |
| Distictis buccinatoria / Blood-red Trumpet Vine | Tecomaria capensis / Cape Honeysuckle |
| Jasminum polyanthum / Pink Jasmine | Trachelospermum jasminoides / Star Jasmine |
| Trees - Botanical Name / Common Name | |
| Aesculus californica * / California Buckeye | Ceratonia siliqua / Carob Tree |
| Afrocarpus falcatus / African Fern Pine | Ceanothus thyrsiflorus * / Blue Blossom Ceanothus |
| Arbutus menziesii * / Pacific Madrone | Cercis occidentalis / Western Redbud |
| Arbutus unedo / Strawberry Tree | Citrus varieties / Orange, Lemon, etc. |
| Ceanothus oliganthus var. sorediatus * / Jim Brush | Quercus agrifolia * / Coast Live Oak |
| * Denotes California Native Species | |
| Perennials - Botanical Name / Common Name | |
| Achillea millefolium * / Common Yarrow | Lotus scoparius / Deerweed |
| Agapanthus africanus / Lily of the Nile | Lupinus species / Lupine |
| Coreopsis species / Coreopsis | Penstemon varieties / Penstemon |
| Dietes vegetata / Fortnight Lily | Salvia sonomensis * / Sonoma Sage |
| Diplacus species / Monkeyflower | Santolina species / Santolina |
| Eschscholzia californica * / California Poppy | Trichostema lanatum / Wooly Blue Curls |
| Hemerocallis varieties / Day Lily | Thymus species / Thymus |
| Heuchera maxima / Island Coral Bells | Tulbaghia violacea / Society Garlic |
| Iris douglasiana / Douglas Iris | Zauschneria californica * / California Fuchsia |
| Limonium perezii / Statice | |
| * Denotes California Native Species | |
| Do Not Plant! | |
| Botanical Name / Common Name | |
| Abies species / Fir | Juniperus species / Juniper |
| Acacia species / Acacia | Larix species / Larch |
| Adenostemma species / Chamise | Miscanthus species / Grasses |
| Arborvitae species / Thuja | Muhlenbergia species / Deer Grass |
| Baccharis pilularis / Coyote Brush | Palms / Palms |
| Bamboo species / Bamboo | Pennisetum species / Fountain Grass |
| Bougainvillea species / Bougainvillea | Phormium tenax / New Zealand Flax |
| Chamaecyparis species / False Cypress | Picea species / Spruce |
| Cedrus species / Cedar | Pinus species (except dwarf P. mugo) / Pine |
| Coprosma pumila / Prostrate Coprosma | Pseudotsuga menziesii / Douglas Fir |
| Cortaderia species / Pampas Grass | Quercus dumosa / Scrub Oak |
| Cryptomeria japonica / Japanese Cryptomeria | Rhus laurina / Laurel Sumac |
| Cytisus scoparius / Scotch Broom | Rosmarinus species / Rosemary |
| Dodonea species / Hopseed Bush | Spartium species / Spanish Broom |
| Eucalyptus species / Eucalyptus | Tamarix / Tamarisk |
| Gelsemium sempervirens / Carolina Jessamine | Taxus species (except dwarf) / Yew |
| Genista species / Broom (French, Mediterranean, Bridal Veil, etc.) | Taxodium species / Cypress |
| Hakea suaveolens / Hakea | Tsuga species / Hemlock |
| Hedera / Ivy (Algerian, English, etc.) | |
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Sources: California Wildfire Landscaping by Maureen Gilmer California Invasive Plant Council CalFire "Fire Smart Landscaping“ California Native Plant Society - https://calscape.org Version: July 2022 |
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