Trees for Bushfire Prone Areas
Australia is the most fire-prone country in the world, with tens of thousands of bushfires each year. If you’re a homeowner looking for ways to keep your property and family safe during the peak summer season, then you might be surprised to find out how impactful your landscaping can be. From the trees you plant on your property to your year-round garden maintenance, you can take an active role in limiting the spread of fire around your home.
Best Trees to Plant in Bushfire Areas
We are 10 of the best trees for bushfire areas, what they need to thrive, and how they can help to manage the spread of bushfires on your property. From decades of experience, our arborists highlight why these 1o trees are fire resistant and designed to last extreme temperatures and harsh climate.
1. River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)
Optimal Conditions: Tolerates a wide range of soils, preferring deep, well-drained soils. Grows best in areas with moderate rainfall and full sun.
Average Height: Up to 30 meters.
Maintenance: Low-maintenance once established. Regular watering may be needed during dry periods, but it’s quite drought-tolerant. Pruning is minimal but can be done to manage growth.
Fire-Resistant Features: High moisture content in the leaves, which can slow the spread of fire. However, the bark can be flammable under extreme conditions.
2. Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
Optimal Conditions: Prefers well-drained soils and grows best in sunny locations.
Average Height: 7 meters.
Maintenance: Low-maintenance, tolerates drought but needs regular watering during dry periods. Pruning needed to maintain shape.
Fire-Resistant Features: Thick bark and high moisture content help the tree resist fire damage.
3. White Cypress Pine (Callitris glaucophylla)
Optimal Conditions: Grows well in poor, dry, and rocky soils. Tolerates heat and drought, and thrives in full sun.
Average Height: 10 to 20 meters.
Maintenance: Minimal maintenance required once established. Does well with infrequent watering.
Fire-Resistant Features: Resinous wood is less likely to combust in fires compared to other species.
4. Flooded Gum (Eucalyptus rudis)
Optimal Conditions: This tree thrives in moist, well-drained soils, particularly in floodplains, along riverbanks, and areas with regular water supply. It tolerates both wet and dry conditions once established but prefers full sun for optimal growth.
Average Height: 20 to 30 meters.
Maintenance: Once established, Flooded Gums are low-maintenance. They tolerate droughts, but they perform better with regular watering during prolonged dry spells. Pruning is generally only required to remove dead or damaged branches.
Fire-Resistant Features: Flooded Gums have a high moisture content in their leaves and a smooth, fibrous bark that can help prevent rapid fire spread. The bark often sheds in long strips, which can reduce the buildup of fuel. The tree’s high moisture content can also make it less likely to ignite quickly compared to other eucalypts.
5. Golden Wattle (Acacia victoriae)
Optimal Conditions: Grows best in well-drained soils and can tolerate dry conditions. Prefers full sun but can adapt to partial shade.
Average Height: 6 meters.
Maintenance: Requires minimal care once established, though watering during extended dry periods helps. Regular pruning to remove dead branches is advised.
Fire-Resistant Features: The leaves and bark contain oils that have moderate resistance to fire.
6. Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia)
Optimal Conditions: Prefers well-drained soils and can tolerate coastal conditions. Full sun is ideal for healthy growth.
Average Height: 8 to 12 meters.
Maintenance: Requires minimal care once established. Drought-tolerant but appreciates some watering during very dry conditions.
Fire-Resistant Features: Woody, fire-resistant bark and deep taproot that help the plant survive post-fire.
7. Lemon-scented Gum (Eucalyptus citriodora)
Optimal Conditions: Prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soils. It thrives in areas with regular rainfall but is drought-tolerant once established.
Average Height: 30 to 45 meters.
Maintenance: Low-maintenance after establishment. Requires pruning to shape and remove dead wood, especially to reduce the risk of fire spread.
Fire-Resistant Features: Contains essential oils with anti-flammability properties, making it more resistant to fire.
8. River Sheoak (Casuarina cunninghamiana)
Optimal Conditions: Grows best in sandy or loamy soils near water sources but is drought-tolerant once established.
Average Height: 10 to 20 meters.
Maintenance: Very low-maintenance. Drought-tolerant once established and can withstand a variety of conditions.
Fire-Resistant Features: Fire-resistant due to its needle-like leaves and resinous wood.
9. Spotted Gum (Eucalyptus maculata)
Optimal Conditions: Prefers moist, well-drained soils but is adaptable to a wide range of conditions. Thrives in full sun.
Average Height: 25 to 40 meters.
Maintenance: Low-maintenance, tolerant of dry conditions, and once established, it requires little care.
Fire-Resistant Features: Thick bark and high moisture content reduce the risk of fire spreading.
10. Pine (Pinus radiata)
Optimal Conditions: Prefers well-drained soils and full sun. Tolerates dry conditions and can grow in a variety of soil types, though it does best in cooler, temperate climates.
Average Height: 15 to 20 meters.
Maintenance: Needs regular pruning to remove dead branches, especially at the lower trunk. Can be sensitive to high winds.
Fire-Resistant Features: While not naturally as fire-resistant as other species, it can be treated for fire resistance, and its wood has a slower combustion rate compared to many other conifers.
Other Fire-Proofing Measures
No tree is fully fire-resistant, and, unfortunately, there’s no way to completely fire-proof your yard, but planting any of the trees above is a worthwhile precautionary measure. Along with carefully choosing your trees, regular maintenance and tree pruning are important throughout the entire year, and especially during the summer, can also reduce the risk of fire spreading.
Keeping your gutters free from foliage and debris will reduce the amount of material available to catch fire, making regular gutter cleaning an important step on your summer gardening list. Some of these tasks can require some technical gardening knowledge, particularly for tasks like pruning, where certain plants need different pruning cuts to stay healthy. In these instances, professional tree pruning may be the best way to limit the amount of dry or dead plant matter on your trees, which if left, is a high risk for catching fire.
Lastly, mulching your yard can also impact how fire-safe your property is. Mulches made from organic materials can be more prone to catching fire, whereas gravel and mineral mulches pose less of a risk.
Professional Guidance
Not only can making informed landscaping decisions impact your yard’s aesthetic, but they can be detrimental to your property’s safety. At Jim’s Trees, our experts know the ins-and-outs of planning, planting, and caring for trees, and can help make this process easy and stress-free for you. Contact the Jim’s Trees team today to speak to one of our friendly professionals about looking after your yard.
