Time to Remove and Replace Invasive Plants

March is a great time to focus on removing invasive plants and setting your landscape up to be healthier, safer, and more fire-resilient. Invasive species grow quickly, crowd out beneficial plants, and often create dense, highly flammable fuel—exactly what we want to avoid as fire season approaches. Now is the time to remove and replace invasive plants before they spread further through seeds or spreading stems that grow underground (rhizomes) or above ground ( runners/stolons) .

 
Zone 0 (0-5 feet from structures)

• Prioritize removing all vegetation from this zone to protect structures from fire
• Remove all invasive vines and climbing plants like ivy from building walls
• Consider installing metal edging to prevent invasive roots, rhizomes, and runners from spreading into this zone    
• Regularly inspect for and remove any new invasive seedlings, especially after rain.

Zones 1 (5-30 feet) & 2 (30-100 feet)

• Prioritize removing woody and dense invasives such as broom, bamboo, and pampas grass to reduce the amount of fuel available to fire
• Remove invasive vine growth from trees to help prevent fire reaching tree canopies
• Replace undesirable plants with less aggressive varieties of California native plants, pollinator-friendly species, and low-water-use plants that offer many fire-smart options. Choose plants that retain higher moisture, grow slowly, require low maintenance, and contain low levels of oily resins. Avoid plants with dense or thatch-like branching, and select species that will be an appropriate size at maturity to maintain proper fire-smart spacing.
• When replacing invasives with new plants, use appropriate spacing based on the distance from any structures and the slope of the ground.
• Cover bare soil with fire-smart mulch such as medium sized woodchips to prevent weeds and other opportunistic plants from establishing. Do not use gorilla hair mulch.
• Continually monitor cleared areas for new growth

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FIRE-SMART LANDSCAPING, VISIT MARIN MASTER GARDENERS WEBSITE. 

Invasive Plants to Avoid

Containing and Removing Roots and Runners_Bamboo 

Choosing Plants for a Fire-Smart Landscape

California Native Plants

Pollinator Habitats

Low Water Use Plants

Woody and Dense Invasives

Fire-Smart Plant Spacing

Fire-Smart Mulch