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Webpage on Fire Safe(r) Landscaping

Sustainable Fuel Reduction Guidelines

These fuel reduction guidelines were created with residents living in the wild areas of the Santa Cruz Mountains in mind. These guidelines illustrate how to create an extended defensible space beyond the 30 ft zone around a home, while maintaining a robust, native ecosystem which can have the best chance of long term resilience.

Fire Resistant Native Plant Lists for Landscaping

These native plant lists were created with residents living in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) in the Santa Cruz Mountains in mind. While no plant is completely firesafe (i.e. all plants can burn in the right conditions), these lists of CA native plants are low fire risk compared to many other landscaping plant options. All of these plants can be wonderful additions to a garden and most of these species are locally native to the Santa Cruz Mountains, making them valuable contributors in our local ecosystem.

Swallowtail Butterfly on Mondardella villosa, photo by Nikki Hanson

Support butterflies, bees and other critical pollinators with native plants