Fire's Impact on Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains

With our drought and subsequent active fire season this year, coupled with the lack of flowering plants that is typical of fall and early winter, I decided to take a break from the regular structure of this page to highlight a few plants to look for in the spring following a fire. This will be the first in a series — probably once a year in the fall.

While there is a natural and understandable tendency to lament the impact these fires have on our mountains, it does provide a unique opportunity to some plants that need the heat, nutrients or exposure to set seed or properly thrive. Other plants may have certain abilities to bounce back from a fire, usually due to significant root structures or hardened stems.

These photos were taken around March 2006 in the Santa Susana / Rocky Peak area between the San Fernando and Simi Valleys. Fire had swept through this area in the fall of 2005.

The following plants are examples of species that may appear following fire or demonstrate a notable ability to recover from fire.

Star Lily

Zigadenus fremontii

Family: Liliaceae, Lily family
Plant Type: Perennial flowering plant
Size: Up to 3 feet high
Habitat: Chaparral, sage scrub, grassy areas
Fire characteristic: Fire-follower

Look for this plant blooming from March to May. It has grass-like leaves with a main stem supporting many branching flowers. The stem emerges from a roundish bulb in the soil. The flowers are about 1 inch in diameter and have 6 white-to-pale-yellow petals or sepals, with light green centers. While sometimes referred to as the poisonous "Death Camas", this insidious name is really reserved for the related plant Zigadenus venonosus, which has smaller flowers and is not found in this area. Read More

Nettle Lupine, Stinging Lupine

Lupinus hirsutissimus

Family: Fabaceae, Pea family
Plant Type: Annual flowering plant
Size: Up to 3 feet high
Habitat: Chaparral and sage scrub, in open places
Fire characteristic: Fire-follower

While the Bush Lupine is probably the most common along our trails, several other lupines are known to be fire-followers, and it is not uncommon that Nettle Lupine is the only type seen in an area following a fire. As the name suggests, this plant is covered with stinging hairs. Other than the hairs, it resembles other lupines, with a purple flowering stalk and leaves of 5–8 lobes. Stinging Lupine blooms from March to May. Lupines were featured as Plant of the Month in April 2006.

Yucca, Our Lord's Candle

Yucca whipplei

Family: Agavaceae, Agave family (previously in the Liliaceae / Lily family)
Plant Type: Blooms once, but lives for years
Size: Base up to 3 feet tall and 6 feet wide; flower stalk adds up to 10 feet
Habitat: Chaparral and sage scrub
Fire characteristic: Hardy to fire

I was happy to see this plant bouncing back with new leaves after a fire, even though its base had obviously been affected by the flame and heat. The needle-sharp leaves that emanate from the base grow up to 3 feet long. At the end of the plant's life the central leaves gather to produce an impressive flower stalk, whose pale yellow flowers sow the seeds for future generations of the plant. This blooming occurs between April and July. Featured as Plant of the Month in June 2006.

Contributed by Liz Baumann