Tag Archives: Firewise Plant

Fire-Resistant Plant: Greenleaf Manzanita

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Plant Name:  Arctostaphylos patula
Common name:  Greenleaf Manzanita
Plant type: Shrub
Height: 3.3’ – 7’
Spread: 6’ –  9’
Bloom Time:  Winter – Spring
Flower Color: White, Pink
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Fast Draining; Slightly Acidic.
Water Needs: Low; Deep Moisture.
Attributes:   Insects Attracted to Flowers Including Native Bees; Birds Attracted to Fruits; Hosts Butterflies & Moths; Nectar Source.
Firewise: YES; One of the Few Manzanitas That Are Fire-Resistant.
Note:  Slow Growing;  Tolerates Very Cold Temperatures.
Uses:  Hedges; Bird & Hummingbird Gardens; Bee Gardens; Erosion Control.
Native to: Sierra Nevadas/North Coast Range California/Oregon/Washington; Parts of Arizona/Colorado.
Oregon Native:   YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5b – 9b

Article by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener

Photo courtesy of Pat Breen, Oregon State University

Firewise Plant: Aurinia saxatilis (Basket-of-Gold)

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Plant Name:  Aurinia saxatilis
0Common name:  Basket-of-Gold
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  8” – 18”
Plant Width:  1’ – 2’
Bloom Time: April – May
Flower Color:  Gold to Light Yellow
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Average to Sandy, Well-Drained Soil; Intolerant of Clay Soil.
Water Needs: Low
Fire Resistant:  YES; Zone 8 = 30’+ from house.
Attributes: Attracts Butterflies; Deer Resistant; Showy Flower; Drought Tolerant; Nectar Source for Beneficial Insects.
Uses:  Rock Gardens; Ground Cover; Border Fronts.
Note:  Prune After Flowering to Maintain Shape; Possible Aphid Problem.
Native to: Central & Southeastern Europe
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 7

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/ Master Gardener

Photo credit: Meneerke bloem, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Firewise Plant: Geranium cinereum

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Ballerina Cranesbill

Plant Name:  Geranium cinereum
Common name:  Cranesbill
Plant Type:  Semi-Evergreen Perennial
Plant Height:  4” – 6”
Plant Width:  10” – 12”
Bloom Time:  May – September
Flower Color:  Pink, White, Magenta
Exposure: Full to Part Sun
Soil Requirements: Chalk, Loam, Sand; Good Drainage.
Water Needs: Low to Average
Fire Resistant:  YES – Zone 1-8, Plant 30’+ from House.
Attributes: Deer Resistant; Attracts Butterflies.
Uses:  Ground Cover; Rock Gardens; Border Edging; Containers.
Note: Shear Plants by One-Half in Mid Summer to Encourage Bushy Growth & Repeat Blooming.
Native to: Pyrenees Mountains
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 9

Firewise Plant: Lilies

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Plant Name: Lilium species
Common name: Lilies
Plant Type: Herbaceous Bulb
Plant Height: 1’ – 4’
Plant Width:12” – 2’
Bloom Time: Late Spring to Early Autumn
Flower Color: Range of Colors: White/Yellow/Orange/Pink/Red/Purple
Exposure: Blooms in the Sun; Bulbs in the Shade.
Soil Requirements: Good Drainage; Moderately Acidic.
Water Needs: Moderate
Fire Resistant:YES; Zone 1 – Plant 10+ feet from Structure
Attributes: Good Cut Flower; Attracts Large Pollinators; Fragrant.
Uses: Herbaceous Border; Container.
Note: Plant Twice as Deep as the Height of the Bulb.
Native to: Old World; New World
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/Master Gardener

Photos by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Firewise Plant: Lupine

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Plant Name: Lupinus varieties

Common name:  Lupine

Plant Type: Perennial

Plant Height: 18” – 48”

Plant Width:  24” – 26”

Bloom Time: May – July

Flower Color:  Multiple Colors Including Blue, Yellow, Pink, White

Exposure: Full Sun

Soil Requirements: Adaptable to Soils of Slow to Fast Drainage.

Water Needs: Moderate to High.

Fire Resistant:  YES; Zone 1 – Plant 30+ feet From Structure.

Attributes: Showy Flowers; Deer Resistant; Nitrogen Fixer.

Uses: Back of the Border; Bee, Bird, Butterfly Gardens; Good Cut Flower; Perennial Border; Cottage Garden.

Note: May Need Staking;; Deadhead to Encourage Additional Flowering; Powdery Mildew & Aphids May be Troublesome; Slugs & Snails May Attack New Plants.

Native to: Western North America

Oregon Native:  YES

 USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 6

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/Master Gardener

Photo by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Firewise Plant: Yucca

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Yucca recurvifolia

Plant Name:  Yucca species

Common name: Yucca

Plant Type:  Herbaceous & Succulent Perennial

Plant Height:  2’ – 4’

Plant Width:  2’ – 4’

Bloom Time: Spring

Flower Color:  White, Red, Yellow

Exposure: Full Sun

Soil Requirements: Dry, Sandy, Well-Draining.

Water Needs: Low to Medium.

Fire Resistant:  YES:  Zone 1 – Plant 30’+ from House.

Attributes: Swordlike Leaves in Shades of Green; Some Yuccas are Pollinated by Moths; Drought Resistant; Red & Yellow Plants Attract Hummingbirds.

Uses:  Native Plant Gardens; Rock Gardens; Xeric Gardens; Containers; Focal Plant.

Note: Cut off Flower Stalks in Autumn or Late Winter; Use Well-Balanced Nitrogen Fertilizer or Compost Once a Year in Spring.

Native to: Many Parts of North America, but not Pacific Northwest.

Oregon Native:  NO

 USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 10

 

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/Master Gardener

Photo from: Oregon State University Dept of Horticulture:  https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/yucca-recurvifolia