Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s native-plant burn tests spotlight wildfire-resilient garden management
The Santa Barbara Independent reported on September 20, 2026, that Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is testing native plants’ ability to withstand wildfire under the leadership of its new fire scientist, Kristina Fauss, Ph.D. According to the report, the team uses a combustion chamber to observe how readily plants ignite, how intensely they burn, and how long combustion continues.
The report highlights a garden-management issue: verifiable guidance is needed beyond broad “firewise” plant lists. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has previously said its testing is intended to identify low-flammability, water-wise native plants and build evidence for their use in defensible-space landscaping.
The Garden describes the main indicators as ignitability, combustibility, and sustainability of combustion. This approach moves beyond simply recommending or excluding certain plants, and instead examines management conditions such as irrigation needs, seasonal dryness, and plant structure.
For garden and landscape managers, completely clearing defensible space can raise maintenance costs and erosion concerns. The Santa Barbara report said the Garden is also studying how plantings such as native oaks may affect wind and ember movement.
The case shows that garden management in wildfire-prone areas is becoming a combined task of water conservation, biodiversity, and safety planning. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden aims to use the results to provide homeowners, landscape professionals, and planners with more reliable evidence for plant selection.
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