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huachuma

Is well-watered bamboo relatively...

huachuma
14 years ago

...fire resistant? I would imagine that bamboo would be substantially more so than resinous trees such as conifers or Eucalyptus.

The reason I ask is that it nearing both air conditioning and fire season here in California (The Santa Barbara area has already seen some very nasty fires this spring). We have two "agencies" that are making opposite recommendations.

First, our local energy provider is continuing a campaign this year to get people to plant trees, noting that "strategically placed trees can save up to 40% on your air conditioning bills".

Alternately, various California fire suppression associations recommend "a 100ft defensible space zone free of hazardous vegetation around your home"

For the most part we don't have significant vegetation that comes within 100ft of any structure, but on the west side of the house there is only about 30ft between us and the neighborÂs fence. I don't live in a particularly dangerous area; mostly urban and flat, but there is a wooded canyon that runs up from the American River that could possibly be an issue. It comes within perhaps 50 yards of our front yard and is populated most with native oaks and lots of shrubby plants.

To cool the house I have planted two species of bamboo on its west side, Moso (hopefully) and vivax. They have not yet put up mature culms, but I expect that in the next few years that they will.

Are they fairly fire resistant if watered properly? I figure that in a worse case scenario I could cut them down fairly quickly (I want to limit both species to approx. ten mature culms, fairly widely spaced, when they eventually mature). From what I understand they would re-grow from well established rhizomes in short order if this wasnÂt repeated often.

Does this seem like a sound idea? (I always wait until after IÂve already done something before asking adviceÂ)

Thanks,

Mike

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