Low Flammability Plants for the Taroona Garden
Why it matters:
Our climate is changing. Increasing atmospheric CO₂ is warming our climate. Rainfall is declining and the distribution of that rainfall is becoming more concentrated into droughts and flooding rains. The duration of fire seasons is growing and fire weather is becoming more extreme. Dry lightning storms are becoming increasingly common as an ignition source. This is happening in a part of the world that was already prone to some of the most extreme fire weather in the world.
What you can do:
Our gardens may not be the haven that we thought we had or would like them to be. Many plants are highly flammable and in a warming climate, it is time to rethink what is in your garden particularly if you value our native plants for their beauty and habitat benefits.
UTAS has done some extensive flammability testing of many native and garden plants. While we await their results, TEN is relying on “Fire Resisting Garden Plants” published by Tasmania Fire Service and “Safer Gardens Plant Flammability and Planning for Fire” by Lesley Corbett (2021).
Based on these sources, here are some plants that you can use to lower the flammability of your garden starting at ground level and working up!
