Fire Smart
Wildfire season now reaches far beyond California. Eastern Washington, the Cascade foothills, southern Oregon, and even the wildland edges of Puget Sound and the Willamette Valley face real fire risk every summer. No plant is fireproof, but the plants you choose and where you put them can make a real difference. Our Fire Smart collection brings together native edible plants that extension services across the West recognize as fire-resistant: high moisture content, low resin and oil, open or low growth, and little dead material. They're easy to keep green and lean around your home.
Fire experts in Washington, Oregon, and California recommend thinking about your home in zones. Keep the first 5 feet (the "ember-resistant zone") mostly clear, with only well-watered, low plants and no wood mulch. From 5 to 30 feet, use low, well-spaced, irrigated plants like the groundcovers and berry shrubs below. From 30 to 100 feet, plant spaced-out deciduous trees and shrubs and keep them limbed up. Keep plants watered, remove dead leaves and dry stalks, and check your local fire district for rules where you live.
See the table below for why each plant made the list and where it fits best.
| Plant | Native To | Why It's Fire Smart | Best Placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Stonecrop (Sedum oreganum) | WA, OR, CA | Succulent, water-filled leaves; very low and slow to ignite. | Near the house, rock beds, 5–30 ft |
| Coastal Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) | WA, OR, CA | Dense, low, evergreen mat with moist leaves; a classic fire-resistant groundcover. | 5–30 ft (watered) |
| Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) | WA, OR, CA | Low, soft-leaved groundcover with little woody fuel. | 5–30 ft (watered) |
| Mountain Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) | WA, OR, CA | Low, spreading groundcover; hardy for east-side and mountain gardens. | 5–30 ft (watered) |
| Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) | Circumboreal (Canada and Alaska) | Very low, compact evergreen with little dead material. | 5–30 ft (watered) |
| Springbank Clover (Trifolium wormskioldii) | WA, OR, CA | Low, lush, high-moisture plant of moist ground; fixes nitrogen. | Moist spots, 5–30 ft |
| Pacific Silverweed (Potentilla anserina ssp. pacifica) | WA, OR, CA | Low, spreading, succulent-leaved groundcover of wet areas. | Moist spots, 5–30 ft |
| Redwood Sorrel (Oxalis oregana) | WA, OR, CA | Soft, juicy leaves form a low carpet in shade. | Shady beds, 5–30 ft |
| Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) | WA, OR, CA | Succulent, low annual green; very little fuel while green. Pull plants once they set seed and dry out. | Garden beds, 5–30 ft |
| Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum) | WA, OR, CA | Small, fleshy bulb plant with little biomass. Clip dry stalks after bloom. | 5–30 ft |
| Common Camas (Camassia quamash) | WA, OR, CA | Green during spring and early summer, then retreats underground. Remove dry foliage. | 5–30 ft |
| Soapweed Yucca (Yucca glauca) | Great Plains and interior West | Succulent leaves that hold water; a good dry-site choice for east-side gardens. | 5–30 ft (remove dead leaves) |
| Red-flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) | WA, OR, CA | Deciduous, open shrub with moist leaves and low resin. | 5–30 ft, spaced |
| Golden Currant (Ribes aureum) | WA, OR, CA | Deciduous, open, low-oil shrub that also handles dry east-side conditions. | 5–30 ft, spaced |
| Black Gooseberry (Ribes lacustre) | WA, OR, CA | Deciduous, moisture-loving shrub with soft leaves. | 5–30 ft, moist shade |
| Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) | WA, OR, CA | Large, soft, high-moisture leaves; deciduous and thornless. Prune old canes. | 5–30 ft |
| Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) | WA, OR, CA | Deciduous, moisture-loving shrub with lush leaves. Prune old canes. | 30–100 ft, moist areas |
| Honeyberry (Lonicera caerulea) | Circumboreal | Compact deciduous shrub with soft leaves and low oils. | 5–30 ft, spaced |
| Saskatoon Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) | WA, OR, CA | Deciduous, low-resin shrub or small tree; widely listed as fire-resistant. | 5–30 ft or 30–100 ft |
| Highbush Cranberry 'Wentworth' (Viburnum trilobum) | Northern North America | Deciduous shrub with broad, moist leaves. | 5–30 ft or 30–100 ft |
| Blue Elderberry (Sambucus cerulea) | WA, OR, CA | Deciduous, fast-growing shrub with soft, pithy stems and moist leaves. | 30–100 ft |
| Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) | WA, OR, CA | Deciduous, moisture-loving shrub with soft stems and lush leaves. | 30–100 ft |
| Pacific Crabapple (Malus fusca) | WA, OR, CA | Deciduous fruit tree with moist leaves and no resin. | 30–100 ft |
| Red Alder (Alnus rubra) | WA, OR, CA | Deciduous, high-moisture, nitrogen-fixing tree; hardwoods like alder burn far less readily than conifers. | 30–100 ft, limbed up |
| Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana) | WA, OR, CA | Thick, fire-adapted bark; mature trees survive low ground fires. Rake leaf litter. | 30–100 ft, limbed up |
| California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii) | OR, CA | Deciduous, fire-adapted oak that resprouts after fire. Rake leaf litter. | 30–100 ft, limbed up |
| Wapato (Sagittaria latifolia) | WA, OR, CA | Aquatic plant that stays green all season where water is permanent; a good fit for ponds and rain gardens on a fire-smart property. | Ponds and wet areas, any zone |
Fire-resistant does not mean fireproof. Any plant will burn if it is dry or stressed. Water regularly, remove dead material, and space plants apart. Learn more: OSU/WSU/UI Extension, Fire-Resistant Plants for Home Landscapes (PNW 590); WSU Extension, Wildfire Preparedness for Home Landscapes; UC ANR, Firewise Landscaping.