FIRE RETARDANT PLANTS

Bush fire season is upon us, and with a harsh hot dry summer ahead, the threat of dangerous bush fires to livestock and property has never been greater.

Did you know that you can reduce your risk by surrounding your home and property with fire retardant plants? Of course, they cannot completely prevent or halt a bush fire from taking hold, however they can reduce an element of risk and perhaps even delay the onset of a catastrophe, allowing more time for further preparation.

Fire retardant plants have been a much debated topic over the years, and there is a great deal of information available online about this topic. Some information is quite reliable, based on opinions and years of experience from farmers. Some however are just pure speculation. Recently the CSIRO commissioned a study into this subject, testing the ignitability of Australian plants. This study was especially unique in the fact that it is the only scientific study that tested how quickly both dry and moist leaves of certain plants take to ignite. Based on these results, many Ozbreed plants can be recommended as fire retardant, based on their genus and species. The following is a comprehensive list detailing these plants. However it must be highlighted that any plant can burn when exposed to enough flames and heat, it is just that some are less likely to ignite or may take longer to ignite.

For this reason you cannot rely on plant selection alone, but it makes sense to use plants that generally delay their ignition.

It should be noted that plants with little or no maintenance will however need pruning in times of fire hazards, particularly if they have browned off during the hot dry weather. Turf should not be overlooked either, a lush green lawn, regardless of the variety, will help to reduce a fire hazard. 

For more information on the CSIRO study, please download the following link: http://www.ozbreed.com.au/download/fire_retardant_plants.pdf

Disclaimer: Ozbreed provides this information in good faith, but by using this information you understand Ozbreed or the authors cannot and will not be held liable for damage or loss incurred due to a fire should this advice be used in selecting plants. As stated earlier, any plant can burn given the right conditions.

Ozbreed are renowned for their intensive and far reaching research, bringing specifiers and users of our products more comprehensive information and confidence in our products. For more Ozbreed research information on drought tolerant plants and turf, please visit: http://www.ozbreed.com.au/