The standard undesirable plant list
| Plant | Why it is banned |
|---|---|
| Juniper | Oily; hidden dead foliage |
| Italian cypress | Torch; dead interior needles |
| Eucalyptus | Volatile oils, bark, litter |
| Pampas grass | Dry plumes, dead center |
| Broom | Invasive and combustible |
| Chamise, red shank | High resin and fuel load |
| Bamboo | Dry leaves, dense growth |
| Bougainvillea, vines | Woody path to the roof |
Also on many local lists: pines, acacia, fountain grass, giant reed, palms with dead skirts, annual weeds.
Check three lists, in this order
- Your fire agency’s plant lists
- The Cal-IPC invasive inventory
- WUCOLS for your region’s water rating
Keep aromatic shrubs (lavender, rosemary, sage, ceanothus, rockrose) out of Zones 0 and 1; Zone 2 only if your agency approves. A plant that is not listed is not approved by default; where sources disagree, follow the stricter rule.
Validate with MWELO.com
Group plants into hydrozones and check WUCOLS ratings for your exact city, then browse species and validate your hydrozones in MWELO.com.
Fire-safe still needs a water budget. Validate your hydrozones, WUCOLS plant ratings and MAWA water budget, and get permit-ready compliance documents, at MWELO.com. For fuel-mod plant choices, see the MWELO fuel mod guide.