Welcome to the South East Landcare Plant Flammability Database. Our Landcare Nurseries across the South East have collaborated to create an invaluable resource for gardeners, landscapers and landholders. By categorising the native plants grown in our nurseries into flammability ratings, we aim to provide you with essential information to make informed plant and landscape design choices. This database is built on a literature review and a synthesis of data from various existing trusted sources. Our goal is to help you protect your home and assets by making strategic planting decisions that suppress and minimise fire threats, all while maintaining the rich biodiversity and habitats that our landscapes and wildlife depends on. We invite you to explore our database and the other highlighted resources to help you make your surroundings safer and more resilient against fire.
In fire-prone areas, the selection of plant species can significantly impact the severity and spread of fire. Knowing the flammability of plants helps in making informed decisions to create safer landscapes, reduce fire hazards, and enhance community resilience.
Our database offers detail of numerous plant species, including:
– Flammability Ratings: Assessments based on a literature review of scientific research and field observations, categorising plants from low to high flammability.
– Plant Characteristics: Categorisation of each species by plant form, shrub, climber, small tree etc.
– Where to source these species: identification of which of our Landcare nurseries supply each species.
This resource pulls together various information into a simple starting searchable database. You can use this as a starting point to spring board into your own research and allows you to make plant and landscape design choices to be better prepared for fire.
The South East Landcare Native Plant Flammability Database is designed to provide you with a quick and efficient starting point for selecting plants for your garden or landscape project. You can easily search the database by plant type, geographic location, flammability rating, or specific species. You can use this user-friendly database on its own as a quick reference, or as a springboard for conducting your own detailed research.
Flammability Ratings Explained:
– Low: Slow to ignite and burns at low intensity for short periods. Burns in flame but extinguishes readily when flame is removed.
– Medium: Immediate ignition and intensity but extinguishes readily. Burns in flame but extinguishes soon after flame is removed.
– High: Ignites easily and burns with a hot flame for long periods. Combusts easily and burns vigorously even when removed from the flame.
– Unknown/Uncategorised: No specific resource has been found to categorise this species. Caution would suggest it is Moderate to High. Please consider doing your own research.
The database is not exhaustive and focuses on the native plants that are grown in our South East Landcare region. The plants will predominantly be suited to growing conditions in the South East.
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Flammability | Plant Type | Growing Nursery | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarga leiocladum | Native sorghum | Unconfirmed | Shrub or Bush | FarSouthCoast | South Coast |
| Scaevola aemula | Fairy Fan Flower | Low | Ground Cover or Climber | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Scaevola aemula | Fairy Fan Flower | Low | Ground Cover or Climber | Milton | South Coast |
| Scaevola albida | Pale Fan Flower | Low | Ground Cover or Climber | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Scaevola albida | Pale Fan Flower | Low | Ground Cover or Climber | Milton | South Coast |
| Scaevola calendulacea | Dune Fan Flower | Low | Ground Cover or Climber | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Scaevola calendulacea | Dune Fan Flower | Low | Ground Cover or Climber | Milton | South Coast |
| Scaevola hookeri | Creeping Fan-flower | Low | Forb, Orchid, Small Herbaceous Plant | Snowy/Monaro | Snowy/Monaro |
| Schelhamera undulata | Lilac lily | Moderate | Forb, Orchid, Small Herbaceous Plant | Berry | Shoalhaven |
| Schelhammera undulata | Lilac Lily | Moderate | Forb, Orchid, Small Herbaceous Plant | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Schizomeria ovata | Crab apple | Moderate | Shrub or Bush | Berry | Shoalhaven |
| Schizomeria ovata | Native Crab Apple | Moderate | Tree Small (<10m) | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Schoenoplectus subulatus | Shore Club Rush | Unconfirmed | Aquatic | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Schoenoplectus validus | River Club-rush | Unconfirmed | Aquatic | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Scolopia braunii | Flintwood | Low | Tree Small (<10m) | Berry | Shoalhaven |
| Scolopia braunii | Flintwood | Low | Tree Small (<10m) | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Scutellaria mollis | Soft Skullcap | Unconfirmed | Forb, Orchid, Small Herbaceous Plant | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Selliera radicans | Swamp Weed | Low | Ground Cover or Climber | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Senecio linearifolius | Fireweed Groundsel | Unconfirmed | Shrub or Bush | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Senecio pinnatifolius var. pinnatifolius | Coast Groundsel | Moderate | Forb, Orchid, Small Herbaceous Plant | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Senna acclinis | Rainforest senna | Unconfirmed | Shrub or Bush | Berry | Shoalhaven |
| Senna acclinis | Rainforest Senna | Unconfirmed | Shrub or Bush | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Sida corrugata | Corrugated Sida | Unconfirmed | Ground Cover or Climber | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Sigesbeckia orientalis | Indian Weed | Unconfirmed | Forb, Orchid, Small Herbaceous Plant | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Sloanea australis | Maiden’s blush | Moderate | Shrub or Bush | Berry | Shoalhaven |
| Sloanea australis | Maiden's Blush | Moderate | Tree Large (>10m) | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Smilax australis | Lawyer Vine | High | Ground Cover or Climber | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Smilax glyciphylla | Sweet Sarsaparilla | High | Ground Cover or Climber | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Solanum aviculare | Kangaroo apple | Medium | Shrub or Bush | Berry | Shoalhaven |
| Solanum aviculare | Kangaroo Apple | Medium | Shrub or Bush | FarSouthCoast | South Coast |
| Solanum aviculare | Kangaroo Apple | Medium | Shrub or Bush | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Solanum aviculare | Kangaroo Apple | Medium | Shrub or Bush | Milton | South Coast |
| Solanum brownii | Violet Nightshade | Unconfirmed | Shrub or Bush | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Solanum prinophyllum | Forest Nightshade | Unconfirmed | Shrub or Bush | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Solanum pungetium | Eastern Nightshade | Unconfirmed | Shrub or Bush | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Solanum stelligerum | Devil's Needles | Unconfirmed | Shrub or Bush | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Solanum vescum | Green Kangaroo Apple | Unconfirmed | Shrub or Bush | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Sorghum leiocladum | Wild Sorghum | Unconfirmed | Grass or Sedge | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Spinifex sericeus | Hairy Spinifex | Unconfirmed | Grass or Sedge | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Sporobolus creber | Western Rat's Tail Grass | Unconfirmed | Grass or Sedge | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Sporobolus elongatus | Slender Rat's Tail Grass | Unconfirmed | Grass or Sedge | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Sporobolus virginicus | Saltwater Couch | Unconfirmed | Grass or Sedge | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Stackhousia monogyna | Creamy Candles | Low | Forb, Orchid, Small Herbaceous Plant | Snowy/Monaro | Snowy/Monaro |
| Stellaria flaccida | Forest Starwort | Unconfirmed | Ground Cover or Climber | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Stenocarpus salignus | Scrub beefwood | Low | Tree Large (>10m) | Berry | Shoalhaven |
| Stenocarpus salignus | Scrub Beefwood | Low | Tree Large (>10m) | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Stephania japonica | Snake vine | High | Ground Cover or Climber | Berry | Shoalhaven |
| Stephania japonica var. discolor | Snake Vine | High | Ground Cover or Climber | Illawara | Illawarra |
| Streblus brunonianus | Whalebone tree | Low | Tree Small (<10m) | Berry | Shoalhaven |
| Streblus brunonianus | Whalebone Tree | Low | Tree Small (<10m) | Illawara | Illawarra |
In putting together this database, the following list of references has been used to assist in categorising each plant species. For more detailed information, consider reading this reference material or conducting your own research. There may be other resources available.
We also believe the below resources are helpful in the design of fire smart landscape
Landscaping for Bushfire: Garden Design and Plant Selection (PDF 4.1MB) – CFA Victoria
Safer Gardens Plant Flammability & Planning for Fire, L. Corbett, 2021
This database is a living resource. It is regularly reviewed and updated as needed. It was last updated in June 2024.
We encourage community participation! Share your observations, contribute data, and help us improve the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the database. Together, we can enhance fire safety and promote sustainable land management practices.
For more information or assistance, please reach out to our support team. We are here to help you make informed decisions for a safer, greener South East.
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