Flammability Ratings for Common Plants of the Edwards Plateau or Hill Country 2017
TREES:
Low flammability: Crape myrtle, Red maple, Desert willow, Bigtooth maple, Black walnut, Pecan, Hackberry, Carolina buckthorn, Rough-leafed dogwood, Red buckeye, Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum, Redbud, Mexican plum, Flame-leaf sumac, Bald cypress, Post oak, Cedar elm, Bois d’arc, Sycamore, Soapberry, Eve’s necklace
Moderate flammability: Texas persimmon, Anacacho orchid, Madrone, Texas pistache, Texas red oak, Escarpment black cherry, Vitex, Honey mesquite, Chinquapin oak, Gum Bumelia, Goldenball Leadtree, Monterey oak
High flammability: Texas mountain laurel, Yaupon holly, Possumhaw holly, Cherry laurel, Live oak, Ashe juniper, Cat-claw acacia, Arizona cypress, Chinaberry*, Chinese tallow*
SHRUBS:
Low flammability: Lantana, Red yucca, Pomegranate, Flame acanthus, Coralberry, Turk’s cap, Autumn sage, Chili pequin, Pigeonberry, Barbados cherry, American beautyberry, Butterfly bush, Oleander, Black dalea, Hamelia, Prickley pear, Mexican bush sage, Hibiscus (Rosemallow), Spicebush
Moderate flammability: Eleagnus (pungens), Cotoneaster, Boxwood, Esperanza, Texas Kidneywood
High flammability:
Agarita, Rosemary, Wax myrtle, Pyracantha*, Dwarf yaupon
GRASSES:
Low flammability:
High flammability:
Indiangrass, Switchgrass, Sideoats grama, Little bluestem
Hairy grama, Buffalograss, Redtop, Black grama
Pampas grass*, Gulf Coast muhly, Lindheimer’s muhly, Mexican feathergrass,
WILDFLOWERS:
Low Flammability: Purple leatherflower, Snapdragon vine, Golden-eye, Indian blanket, Purple coneflower, Coral honeysuckle, Engelmann daisy, Maximillian sunflower, Rose pavonia, Coreopsis, Winecup, Indian paintbrush, Gayfeather, Bluebonnet, Rudbeckia, Columbine, Prairie verbena, Standing cypress, Horsemint, Salvia coccinia, Texas betony, Copper canyon daisy, Mexican mint marigold
VINES:
Moderate flammability: Passionflower, Pipevine, Crossvine, Trumpet creeper, Clematis, Carolina jessamine, Coral honeysuckle, Virginia creeper
High flammability: Mustang grape, Muscadine grape
Use only plants with a low flammability rating near your home. In general, beyond 30 feet, you can start adding those that are classified as moderate if they are kept pruned. Highly flammable plants can also be used in this area, but only if they are not close to other plants and are well maintained. Beyond 100 feet, plants may be spaced in a more natural setting.
Disclaimer:
This list is meant to be a very general guideline for selecting plants based only on their presumed flammability ratings, and was compiled from several sources. The ratings of a few plants differed, depending on the source. Please remember, there are no “fire-proof” plants.
* indicates invasive species of plants