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COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO
ACCEPTABLE PLANTS FOR A DEFENSIBLE SPACE
IN FIRE PRONE AREAS

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ALL PLANTS ON THE FOLLOWING LIST are considered to be drought-tolerant in the particular climate zone noted. Those that grow best in riparian areas, as indicated by the (R), are the least drought-tolerant plants on the list.

SPECIAL NOTE: When planting, it is necessary to water deeply to encourage the plant roots to seek natural moisture in the soil. This watering should continue for at least three years to allow the plants to naturalize. More water should be provided in summer and less (if any) in the winter. These plants should be weaned off the supplemental irrigation and become less dependent on it over the establishment period.

No plant is totally fire resistant. The plants listed were chosen to due to their high water content, minimum amount of flammable resins and/or low fuel volume.

Definitions:

Defensible Space: The area around a structure, where material capable of causing fire has been cleared, reduced or changed, to act as a barrier between an advancing fire and the structure.

Drought-Tolerant Plant Materials: Trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and other vegetation capable of sustained growth and reproduction with only natural moisture. Occasional supplemental irrigation is necessary only in extreme drought situations.

Establishment Period: The time it takes for a plant to become drought-resistant. This is usually a period of three years and is the time when supplemental irrigation is necessary.

Native or Naturalizing Plant Species: Plant species native to the region or introduced which, once established, are capable of sustaining growth and reproduction under local climatic conditions without supplemental irrigation.

BOTANICAL NAME

COMMON NAME

LOCATION

TREES

Acer

platanoides

rubrum

saccharinum

saccarum

macrophyllum

Alnus rhombifolia

Arbutus

unedo

Archontophoenix

cunninghamiana

Arctostaphylos spp.

Brahea

armata

edulis

Ceratonia siliqua

Cerdidium floridum

Cercis occidentalis

Cornus

nuttallii

stolonifera

Elaeagnus

angustifolia

Eriobotrya

japonica

Erythrina caffra

Gingko biloba "Fairmount"

Gleditisia triacanthos

Juglans

californica

hindsii

Lagerstroemia indica

Ligustrum lucidum

Liquidambar styraciflua

Liriodendron tulipifera

Lyonothamnus floribundus

ssp. asplenifolius

Melaleuca spp.

Myoporum spp.

Nerium oleander

Parkinsonia aculeata

Pistacia

chinensis

vera

Pittosporum

phillyraeoides

viridiflorum

Platanus

acerifolia

racemosa

Populus

alba

fremontii

trichocarpa

Prunus

xblireiana

caroliniana

cersifera ‘Newport’

ilicifolia

lyonii

serrulata ‘Kwanzan’

yedoensis ‘Akebono’

Quercus

agrifolia

engelmannii

suber

Rhus

lancea

Salix spp.

Tristania conferta

Ulmus

parvifolia

pumila

Umbellularia californica

 		 

 

Norway Maple

Red Maple

Silver Maple

Sugar Maple

Big Leaf Maple

White Alder

 

Strawberry Tree

 

King Palm

Manzanita

 

Blue Hesper Palm

Guadalupe Palm

Carob

Blue Palo Verde

Western Redbud

 

Mountain Dogwood

Redtwig Dogwood

 

Russian Olive

 

Loquat

Kaffirboom Coral Tree

Fairmount Maidenhair Tree

Honey Locust

 

California Walnut

California Black Walnut

Crape Myrtle

Glossy Privet

Sweet Gum

Tulip Tree

 

Fernleaf Catalina Ironwood

Melaleuca

Myoporum

Oleander

Mexican Palo Verde

 

Chinese Pistache

Pistachio Nut

 

Willow Pittosporum

Cape Pittosporum

 

London Plane Tree

California Sycamore

 

White Poplar

Western Cottonwood

Black Cottonwood

 

Flowering Plum

Carolina Laurel Cherry

Newport Purple-Leaf Plum

Hollyleaf Cherry

Catalina Cherry

Flowering Cherry

Akebono Flowering Cherry

 

Coast Live Oak

Engelmann Oak

Cork Oak

 

African Sumac

Willow

Brisbane Box

 

Chinese Elm

Siberian Elm

California Bay Laurel

  

 

M

M

M

M

C/ (R)

C/I/M (R)

 

All zones

 

C

C/I/D

 

C/D

C/D

C/I/D

D

C/I/M

 

I/M

I/M

 

I/M

 

C/I/D

C

I/M

I/D/M

 

I

C/I

I/D/M

I

C/I/M

I

 

C

C/I/D

C/I

C/I/D

D

 

C/I/D

I

 

C/I/D

C/I

 

All zones

C/I/M

 

D/M

I

I/M

 

M

C

M

C

C

M

M

 

C/I

I

C/I/D

 

C/I/D

All zones (R)

C/I

 

I/D

C/M

C/I
SHRUBS

Agave

americana

deserti

shawii

Amorpha fruticosa

Arbutus

menziesii

Arctostaphylos spp.

Atriplex

canescens

lentiformis

Baccharis

glutinosa

pilularis

Carissa grandiflora

Ceanothus spp.

Cistus spp.

Cneoridium dumosum

Comarostaphylis

diversifolia

Convolvulus cneorum

Dalea

orcuttii

spinosa

Elaeagnus

pungens

Encelia

californica

farinosa

Eriobotrya

deflexa

Eriophyllum

confertiflorum

staechadifolium

Escallonia spp.

Feijoa sellowiana

Fouqueria splendens

Fremontodendron

californicum

mexicanum

Galvezia

juncea

speciosa

Garrya

elliptica

flavescens

Heteromeles arbutifolia

Lantana spp.

Lotus scoparius

Mahonia spp.

Malacothamnus

clementinus

fasciculatus

Melaleuca spp.

Mimulus spp.

Nolia

parryi

parryi ssp. wolfii

Photinia spp.

Pittosporum

crassifolium

rhombifolium

tobira ‘Wheeleri’

undulatum

viridiflorum

Plumbago auriculata

Prunus

caroliniana

ilicifolia

lyonii

Puncia granatum

Pyracantha spp.

Quercus

dumosa

Rhamus

alaternus

californica

Rhaphiolepis spp.

Rhus

continus

integrifolia

laurina

lentii

ovata

trilobata

Ribes

viburnifolium

speciosum

Romneya coulteri

Rosa

californica

minutifolia

Salvia spp.

Sambucus spp.

Symphoricarpos mollis

Syringa vulgaris

Tecomaria capensis

Teucrium fruticans

Toxicodendron

diversilobum

Verbena

lilacina

Xylosma congestum

Yucca

schidigera

whipplei

 		 

Century Plant

Desert Century Plant

Shaw’s Century Plant

 

False Indigobush

 

Madrone

Manzanita

 

Hoary Saltbush

Quail Saltbush

 

Mule Fat

Coyote Bush

Natal Plum

California Lilac

Rockrose

Bushrue

 

Summer Holly

Bush Morning Glory

 

Orcutt’s Delea

Smoke Tree

 

Silverberry

 

Coast Sunflower

White Brittlebush

 

Bronze Loquat

 

Golden Yarrow

Lizard Tail

Escallonia

Pineapple Guava

Ocotillo

 

Flannelbush

Southern Flannelbush

 

Baja Bush-Snapdragon

Island Bush-Snapdragon

 

Coast Silktassel

Ashy Silktassel

Toyon

Lantana

Deerweed

Barberry

 

San Clemente Island Bush Mallow

Mesa Bushmallow

Melaleuca

Monkeyflower

 

Parry’s Nolina

Wolf’s Bear Grass

Photinia

 

 

Queensland Pittosporum

Wheeler’s Dwarf

Victorian Box

Cape Pittosporum

Cape Plumbago

 

Carolina Laurel Cherry

Hollyleaf Cherry

Catalina Cherry

Pomegranate

Firethorn

 

Scrub Oak

 

Italian Blackthorn

Coffeeberry

Rhaphiolepis

 

Smoke Tree

Lemonade Berry

Laurel Sumac

Pink-Flowering Sumac

Sugarbush

Squawbush

 

Evergreen Currant

Fuschia-Flowering Gooseberry

Matilija Poppy

 

California Wild Rose

Baja California Wild Rose

Sage

Elderberry

Creeping Snowberry

Lilac

Cape Honeysuckle

Bush Germander

 

Poison Oak

 

Lilac Verbena

Shiny Xylosma

 

Mojave Yucca

Foothill Yucca

  

D

D

D

 

I

 

C/I

C/I/D

 

I

D

 

C/I

C/I/D

C/I

C/I/M

C/I/D

C

 

C

C/I/M

 

D

I/D

 

C/I/M

 

C/I

D/I

 

C/I

 

C/I

C

C/I

C/I/D

D

 

I/M

I

 

C

C

 

C/I

I/M

C/I/M

C/I/D

C/I

C/I/M

 

C

C/I

C/I/D

C/I (R)

 

I

D

All zones

 

C/I

C/I

C/I/D

C/I

C/I

C/I/D

 

C

C

C

C/I/D

All zones

 

C/I

 

C/I

C/I/M

C/I/D

 

M

C/I

C/I

C/D

I/M

I

 

C/I

C/I/D

I

 

C/I

C/I

All zones

C/I/M

C/I

M

C/I/D

C/I

 

I/M

 

C

C/I

 

D

I
GROUNDCOVERS

Achillea

Aptenia cordifolia

Arctostaphylos spp.

Baccharis

pilularis

Ceanothus spp.

Cerastium tomentosum

Coprosma kirkii

Cotoneaster spp.

Drosanthemum hispidum

Dudleya

brittonii

pulverulenta

virens

Eschscholzia californica

Euonymus fortunei

‘Carrierei’

‘Coloratus’

Ferocactus viridescens

Gaillardia grandiflora

Gazania spp.

Helianthemum spp.

Lantana spp.

Lasthenia

californica

glabrata

Lupinus spp.

Myoporum spp.

Pyracantha spp.

Rosmarinus officinalis

Santolina

chamaecyparissus

virens

Trifolium frageriferum

Verbena

rigida

Viguiera laciniata

Vinca

major

minor

 		 

Yarrow

Aptenia

Manzanita

 

Coyote Bush

California Lilac

Snow-in-Summer

Creeping Coprosma

Redberry

Rosea Ice Plant

 

Britton’s Chalk Dudleya

Chalk Dudleya

Island Live-Forever

California Poppy

 

Glossy Winter Creeper

Purple-Leaf Winter Creeper

Coast Barrel Cactus

Blanket Flower

Gazania

Sunrose

Lantana

 

Common Goldfields

Coastal Goldfields

Lupine

Myoporum

Firethorn

Rosemary

 

Lavender Cotton

Santolina

O’Connor’s Legume

 

Verbena

San Diego Sunflower

 

Periwinkle

Dwarf Periwinkle

  

All zones

C

C/I/D

 

C/I/D

C/I/M

All zones

C/I/D

All zones

C/I

 

C

C/I

C

All zones

 

M

M

C

All zones

C/I

All zones

C/I/D

 

I

C

C/I/M

C/I

All zones

C/I/D

 

All zones

All zones

C/I

 

All zones

C/I

 

C/I

M
VINES

Antigonon leptopus

Distictis buccinatoria

Keckiella cordifolia

Lonicera

japonica ‘Halliana’

subspicata

Solanum

jasminoides

 		 

San Miguel Coral Vine

Blood-Red Trumpet Vine

Heart-Leaved Penstemon

 

Hall’s Honeysuckle

Chaparral Honeysuckle

 

Potato Vine

  

C/I

C/I/D

C/I

 

All zones

C/I

 

C/I/D
PERENNIALS

Coreopsis

gigantea

grandiflora

maritima

verticillata

Heuchera maxima

Iris douglasiana

Iva hayesiana

Kniphofia uvaria

Lavandula spp.

Limonium californicum

var. mexicanum

perezii

Oenothera spp.

Penstemon spp.

Satureja douglasii

Sisyrinchium

bellum

californicum

Solanum

xantii

Zauschneria

californica

cana

‘Catalina’

 		 

 

Giant Coreopsis

Coreopsis

Sea Dahlia

Coreopsis

Island Coral Bells

Douglas Iris

Poverty Weed

Red-Hot Poker

Lavender

 

Coastal Statice

Sea Lavender

Primrose

Penstemon

Yerba Buena

 

Blue-Eyed Grass

Golden-Eyed Grass

 

Purple Nightshade

 

California Fuschia

Hoary California Fuschia

Catalina Fuschia

  

 

C

All zones

C

C/I

C/I

C/M

C/I

C/I/M

All zones

 

C

C/I

C/I/M

C/I/D

C/I

 

C/I

C

 

C/I

 

C/I

C/I

C/I
ANNUALS

Lupinus spp.

 		 

Lupine

  

C/I/M



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