These plants have been found to provide some degree of protection during bushfires.
The lists were compiled by Mr Neil Marriott based on the experiences of APS Victoria members, many of whom have properties in fire-prone areas which have been affected by bushfires.
Please note that this information is of a general nature and is provided subject to our Terms of Use.
Neil welcomes suggestions on additions, deletions and other alterations to the lists. He can be contacted at:
PO Box 107, Stawell Vic 3380
Phone: (03) 5356 2404
>> Send email
During extreme bushfire events neither these nor other plant types will protect your property.
Good design and use of the plants listed will, however, reduce the chance of being burnt out.
Simple test to gauge the fire vulnerability of the trees and shrubs in your garden:
When fire restrictions permit burning off, throw a small sample of foliage from each tree and shrub onto a fire and see how much it flares up.
Consider removing plants with foliage which flares fiercely.
Fire Resistant Plants. Plants that will not burn in the face of continued flame:
| Botanical name | Common name | Botanical name | Common name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atriplex cinerea | Coast Saltbush | Maireana oppositifolia | Heathy Bluebush |
| Atriplex leptocarpa | Slender-fruit Saltbush | Maireana pentagona | Hairy Bluebush |
| Atriplex limbata | Spreading Saltbush | Maireana pentatropis | Erect Bluebush |
| Atriplex lindleyi | Flat-top Saltbush | Maireana pyramidata | Sago Bush |
| Atriplex nummularia | Old-man Saltbush | Maireana radiata | Radiant Bluebush |
| Atriplex rhagodioides | Silver Saltbush | Maireana rohrlachii | Rohrlach’s Bluebush |
| Atriplex semibaccata | Berry Saltbush | Maireana sedifolia | Pearl Bluebush |
| Atriplex vesicaria | Bladder Saltbush | Maireana turbinata | Satiny Bluebush |
| Carpobrotus glaucescens | Bluish Pigface | Melia azedarach | White Cedar |
| Carpobrotus modestus | Inland Pigface | Mimulus repens | Creeping Monkey-flower |
| Carpobrotus rossii | Karkalla | Myoporum insulare | Common Boobialla |
| Carpobrotus virescens | Pigface | Myoporum parvifolium | Creeping Myoporum |
| Chenopodium desertorum | Frosted Goosefoot | Myoporum petiolatum (formerly viscosum) | Sticky Boobialla |
| Disphyma crassifolium ssp clavellatum | Rounded Noon-flower | Rhagodia candolleana | Seaberry Saltbush |
| Einadia hastata | Saloop | Rhagodia crassifolia | Fleshy Saltbush |
| Einadia nutans ssp nutans | Nodding Saltbush | Rhagodia parabolica | Fragrant Saltbush |
| Enchylaena tomentosa | Ruby Saltbush | Rhagodia spinescens | Hedge Saltbush |
| Eremophila debilis | Creeping Emu-bush | Sarcozona praecox | Sarcozona |
| Hakea salicifolia | Willow-leaved hakea | Scaevola calendulacea | Dune Fan-flower |
| Maireana brevifolia | Short-leaf Bluebush | Scaevola hookeri | Creeping Fan-flower |
| Maireana decalvans | Black Cotton-bush | Sclerolaena diacantha | Grey Copperburr |
| Maireana enchylaenoides | Wingless Bluebush | Sclerolaena spp | All Copperburrs |
| Maireana erioclada | Rosy Bluebush | Selliera radicans | Shiny Swamp-mat |
| Maireana excavata | Bottle Bluebush | Zygophyllum apiculatum | Pointed Twin-leaf |
| Maireana georgei | Slit-wing Bluebush | Zygophyllum billardierei | Coast Twin-leaf |
| Maireana microphylla | Small-leaf Bluebush | Zygophyllum spp | All Twin-leaf plants |
Fire Retardant Plants. Plants that will not burn in the first wave of a bushfire, but may burn once dried out:
| Botanical name | Common name | Botanical name | Common name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acacia acinacea | Gold-dust Wattle | Cheilanthes sieberi | Narrow Rock-fern |
| Acacia argyrophylla | Silver Mulga | Coprosma hirtella | Rough Coprosma |
| Acacia baileyana | Cootamundra Wattle | Correa glabra | Rock correa |
| Acacia binervia | Coast Myall | Corymbia maculata | Spotted Gum |
| Acacia brachybotrya | Grey Mulga | Cyathea australis | Rough Tree-fern |
| Acacia buxifolia | Box-leaf Wattle | Derwentia derwentiana | Derwent Speedwell |
| Acacia caerulescens | Limestone Blue Wattle | Dianella brevicaulis | Small-flower Flax-lily |
| Acacia cardiophylla | Wyalong Wattle | Dianella callicarpa | Swamp Flax-lily |
| Acacia cultriformis | Knife-leaf Wattle | Dianella longifolia | Pale Flax-lily |
| Acacia Cyclops | Western Coastal Wattle | Dianella revoluta | Black-anther Flax-lily |
| Acacia dealbata | Silver Wattle | Dianella tarda | Late-flower Flax-lily |
| Acacia deanei | Deane’s Wattle | Dianella tasmanica | Tasman Flax-lily |
| Acacia decora | Western Silver Wattle | Dichondra repens | Kidney-weed |
| Acacia decurrens | Early Black-wattle | Doodia aspera | Prickly Rasp-fern |
| Acacia elata | Cedar Wattle | Doodia australis | Common Rasp-fern |
| Acacia farinosa | Mealy Wattle | Eremophila deserti | Waterbush |
| Acacia fimbriata | Fringed Wattle | Eremophila saligna | White Emu-bush |
| Acacia floribunda | White Sallow-wattle | Eremophila santalina | Sandalwood Emu-bush |
| Acacia glandulicarpa | Hairy-pod Wattle | Ficus macrophylla | Moreton Bay Fig |
| Acacia howittii | Sticky Wattle | Ficus rubiginosa | Rusty Fig |
| Acacia implexa | Lightwood | Frankenia pauciflora | Southern Sea-heath |
| Acacia iteaphylla | Flinders Range Wattle | Grevillea nudiflora | Leafless-flowered Grevillea |
| Acacia kettlewelliae | Buffalo Wattle | Hymenosporum flavum | Native Frangipani |
| Acacia ligulata | Small Cooba | Lagunaria patersoni | Lord Howe Island Hibiscus |
| Acacia mearnsii | Black Wattle | Lasiopetalum macrophyllum | Shrubby Velvet-bush |
| Acacia melanoxylon | Blackwood | Lasiopetalum schulzenii | Drooping Velvet-bush |
| Acacia microcarpa | Manna Wattle | Myoporum acuminatum | Boobialla |
| Acacia nano-dealbata | Dwarf Silver Wattle | Myoporum bateae | Pink Boobialla |
| Acacia obliquinervia | Mountain Hickory Wattle | Myoporum montanum | Waterbush |
| Acacia oswaldii | Umbrella Wattle | Myoporum petiolatum | Sticky Boobialla |
| Acacia pendula | Weeping Myall | Myoporum platycarpum | Sugarwood |
| Acacia penninervis | Hickory Wattle | Myoporum velutinum | Woolly Boobialla |
| Acacia podalyriifolia | Queensland Silver Wattle | Pittosporum angustifolium | Weeping Pittosporum |
| Acacia pravissima | Ovens Wattle | Pittosporum bicolor | Banyalla |
| Acacia prominens | Gosford or Golden Rain Wattle | Pittosporum phylliraeoides | Butterbush |
| Acacia salicina | Willow Wattle | Pittosporum revolutum | Rough-fruit Pittosporum |
| Acacia saligna | Golden Wreathe Wattle | ||
| Acacia stenophylla | Eumong | Scleranthus biflorus | Twin-flower Knawel |
| Acacia terminalis | Sunshine Wattle | Senecio odoratus | Scented Groundsel |
| Acacia vestita | Hairy Wattle | Senecio pinnatifolius | Variable Groundsel |
| Ajuga australis | Austral Bugle | Solanum aviculare | Kangaroo Apple |
| Alectryon oleifolius ssp canescens | Cattle Bush | Solanum esuriale | Quena |
| Alyxia buxifolia | Sea Box | Solanum laciniatum | Large Kangaroo Apple |
| Angophora costata | Smooth-barked Apple | Solanum simile | Oondoroo |
| Brachychiton populneus | Kurrajong | Syzigium (Acmena) smithii | Lilly Pilly |
| Bursaria spinosa | Sweet Bursaria | Viola hederacea | Ivy-leaf Violet |
| Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia | Green Rock-fern |
WARNING: Recent research has shown that Pittosporum undulatum Sweet Pittosporum, which was previously on the fire retardant list, has now proven to be highly flammable once dried out and heated up by bushfires. It should NEVER be planted as it is also one of the most invasive weeds in our bushland. If you have already planted this species, it is recommended that you remove it immediately, as it is no longer safe to leave in your gardens or firebreaks, and is a serious threat to our bushland.