Living closely to our native bush and veld while simultaneously having one of the dryest and hottest climate, our area is naturally prone to fire.
Approaching this most often results in harsh remedies of removing any kind of vegetation close to the structures we choose to reside in. This in itself comes with side effects, is not very pleasing to the eye while making such particular area even dryer, hotter and lifeless.
The large diverse world of trees, shrubs and plants has so much to offer if we look into a more gentle approach. There are very easily ignited plants, most of which contain oils and resins that catch fire swiftly and aiding a fuel load.
Such easily burning trees are any kind of eucalyptus, acacias such as rooikrans and port jackson, generally pines, conifers and cypresses.
Our beloved indigenous fynbos burns easily too, it even needs heat and fire for seed dispersal and reproduction.
Yet I’d like to discern before destroying any kind of plant and would like to invite you to explore the wider term of ‘firescaping’. There are a number of possibilities to surround the above with a more fire proof environment that would make it very hard for a possible fire to travel further.
Coming back to a natural 5 layer structure of an intact forest, let’s look at fire resistant trees that are indigenous and suited well to our area.
Trees:
Wild almond (Brabejum stellatifolium), coastal silver oak (Brachylaena discolour), Rooiels (Cunonia capensis), tree fuchsia (Halleria lucida), Cape holly (Ilex mitis) and Cape beech (Rapanaea melanophloeos.
Our abundant Milkwood aka Sideroxylon inerme does a fabulous job deterring fire and due to its sap simply doesn’t burn easily.
Succulents often are thought to be small and pretty but we even have succulent trees. I am not suggesting to plant a whole lot of baobab trees but a smaller succulent tree that could fare well is the quiver tree as well as any of the large tree aloes.
Shrubs:
- Camphor bush
- All aloes
- Succulent shrubs or succulent like plants such as carissa, crassula, larger vyghie varieties
- Osteospermums such as our yellow flowering tick berry we literally have everywhere.
- Helichrysum
Ground covers, flowers and smaller plants:
- Smaller vyghie varieties
- Agapanthus
- Tulbaghia
- Gazanias
- Helichrysum
Written by Judith Augoustides