Monterey pine

Pinus radiata · Pinaceae · all Pinus records · also called Radiata pine · Wikipedia

Keep away. Condemned as highly flammable by direct fire evidence (Thermo- and physicochemical properties of native and exot…), with no recommendation on record. This status is computed from the cited evidence by the published rule, never hand-assigned. The page keeps its cited source rows visible for readers and separates each evidence channel from the computed result on this record.

▼ Leaf thermal and chemical properties as natural drivers o… · fire-tested ◆ A quantitative assessment of shoot flammability for 60 tr… · fire-tested

Computed class: Highly flammable (limited-evidence) — derived from the cited evidence by a published rule, never hand-assigned. Each chip above is one independent primary-evidence lineage and its direction. No plant is fireproof; condition and placement govern. Zone 0 is hardscape regardless.

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On pinus radiata, Pinus radiata splits keep away recommendation. Pinus radiata then against limited evidence for radiata. The citations do not collapse on pinus radiata. Pinus radiata keeps avoid with limited evidence for radiata.

On pinus radiata, Pinus radiata also carries A quantitative assessment of for radiata. On pinus radiata, Pinus radiata also carries Leaf thermal and for radiata. On pinus radiata, Pinus radiata also carries 1 ecological invasive for radiata.

Use evidence on pinus radiata for radiata. Pinus radiata keeps the sourced table for radiata. On pinus radiata, radiata holds avoid beside limited evidence in the pinus radiata table for Pinus radiata.

Fire-resistant trees instead

Form: tree
Mature height: ~120 ft
Water need: high
Rated in: Global; New Zealand; Peñuelas Lake National Reserve, Valparaíso, Chile

On this lot

1. Fire evidence and conditions

Fire evidence: Highly flammable — location does not change the cited classification.
Fire-performance conditions: 1 condition stated in cited fire-evidence rows.
Fire ecology context
Placement evidence
Evidence regions: Global; New Zealand; Peñuelas Lake National Reserve, Valparaíso, Chile
Maintenance

2. Why this plant is relevant here

State distribution: Documented in CA.
Native range: Current cited native range in CA.
Introduced / established
USDA hardiness: Documented minimum 9a; no upper limit is documented.

3. Legal, ecological, and broader status

Legal-list status
Seed-list status
Reported invasive here: 1 ecological invasive report.
Broader regional context
Federal context

How to read this page

The status above is computed from the cited rows below: independent recommendations can support a fire-resistant result, an avoid row can produce keep-away, and disagreement stays visible as conflict. Placement notes preserve each source’s own scheme rather than translating unlike rules into one scale. This is evidence about a plant, not permission to plant it in every part of the defensible space; Zone 0 remains noncombustible.

Native and introduced range evidence

These are exact U.S. botanical-area records from the cited range source. Native and introduced describe biogeographic relationship, not fire performance or planting approval. Doubtful and extinct rows stay visible but do not count as current presence.

Current native

1

exact source area

Current introduced

0

exact source areas

Qualified

0

doubtful or extinct source rows

1 native source area · World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16 v16, as of 2026-06-04

California (CA)

The lossless worldwide derivative is retained once in the research corpus; object pages repeat only exact U.S. areas needed by the local lens. The JSON twin carries the same page assertions.

Plant hardiness evidence

These values describe the plant source. Your ZIP zone comes from the separate 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Whole-zone values stay whole-zone, and a single unresolved value is not treated as a tolerance range. Different source boundaries stay separate: overlapping statements are compared independently, while only ranges with no shared zone are called a conflict.

USDA PLANTS Database — Plant Characteristics · record PIRA2 · PLANTS Help Document 2022; characteristics cache retrieved 2026-08-23 · as of 2026-08-26

Minimum 9a · no upper limit documented · half zone precision · derived containing band

Exact source measurement: 23°F; mapped only to its containing half-zone.

Source taxon: Pinus radiata · source identifier match.

Source location: PlantCharacteristics record 15549, Temperature, Minimum (°F).

Conditions in the fire evidence

These describe tested or rated plant material. They are not horticultural maintenance instructions.

green: Thermo- and physicochemical properties of native and exotic forest species of Valparaíso evidence row, Leaf thermal and chemical properties as natural drivers of plant flammability evidence row

The evidence

Grouped by what each source concluded. Primary evidence rated the plant itself (a lab, field program, or original curation); corroboration compiled or republished another source's rating and resolves to its root lineage.

Avoids (1)

Thermo- and physicochemical properties of native and exotic forest species of Valparaíso — International Journal of Wildland Fire (Guerrero et al.; UTFSM) · 2020 · original source Primary evidence Lab-tested lineage: guerrero-utfsm-tree

“HHV class 4 (high risk)” · score 4 (hhv-risk-1-5) · condition: green

The paper applies the published HHV risk scale and reports a mean leaf flash point of 308 °C; flash-point precision is explicitly described as low.

Mid-scale / conditional (2)

A quantitative assessment of shoot flammability for 60 tree and shrub species — International Journal of Wildland Fire (Wyse, Perry, O'Connell, Holland, Wright, Hosted, Whitelock, Geary, Maurin, Curran) · 2016 · original source Primary evidence Lab-tested lineage: lincoln-nz-tree

“Moderate flammability category (Fig. 2)”

Shoot category from the paper's cluster analysis; samples were air-dried for 24 hours before testing.
Leaf thermal and chemical properties as natural drivers of plant flammability — IJERPH (Guerrero et al.; UTFSM) · 2021 · original source Primary evidence Lab-tested lineage: guerrero-utfsm-tree

“Flammable (FI 3)” · score 3 (valette-0-5-live-leaf) · condition: green

All 50 live-leaf samples ignited; mean ignition time was 19.64 s.

Listed without a rating (88)

Corroboration (88 rows from 1 source)

FLAMITS: FLAMmability plant traiTS database — Dryad / Global Ecology and Biogeography · Dryad version 9 · original source Corroboration Trait database lineage: meta-aggregator

88 cited rows from this source; its identity, lineage and tier are stated once.
- Primary study Bianchi2019: Bianchi, L. O., Oddi, F .J., Muñoz, M., & Defossé, G. E. (2019). Comparison of leaf moisture content and ignition characteristics among native species and exotic conifers in Northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. Forest Science, 65, 375-386.
  
  Shared row context: plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site Bianchi2019-1; sampling summer.
  - Shared measurement context: Ignitability measurement.
    - “time to flaming (s): 17.9”
      
      FLAMITS record 684.
    - “flammability value: 2.8”
      
      FLAMITS record 720.
    - “ignition frequency (%): 70”
      
      FLAMITS record 738.
  - “burning duration (s): 10.4”
    
    FLAMITS record 702; Sustainability measurement.
- Primary study Blackhall2019: Blackhall, M., & Raffaele, E. (2019). Flammability of Patagonian invaders and natives: When exotic plant species affect live fine fuel ignitability in wildland-urban interfaces. Landscape and Urban Planning, 189, 1-10.
  
  Shared row context: plant part twigs; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site Blackhall2019-1; sampling february.
  - Shared measurement context: Ignitability measurement.
    - “time to flaming (s): 33.2”
      
      FLAMITS record 826.
    - “ignition frequency (%): 50”
      
      FLAMITS record 919.
  - Shared measurement context: Combustibility measurement.
    - “maximum sample temperature (°C): 217”
      
      FLAMITS record 857.
    - “heat released per mass (°C s/g): 2097”
      
      FLAMITS record 950.
  - “flaming duration (s): 41.7”
    
    FLAMITS record 888; Sustainability measurement.
- Primary study Cui2020a: Cui, X., Paterson, A. M., Wyse, S. V., Alam, M. A., Maurin, K. J. L., Pieper, R., ... Curran, T. J. (2020a). Shoot flammability of vascular plants is phylogenetically conserved and related to habitat fire-proneness and growth form. Nature Plants, 6, 355-359.
  
  Shared row context: plant part branches; fuel all; predrying yes; device grill; site Cui2020a-1; sampling ND.
  - “ignition frequency (%): 79.5”
    
    FLAMITS record 1462; Ignitability measurement.
  - “maximum sample temperature (°C): 371.6”
    
    FLAMITS record 1656; Combustibility measurement.
  - “burning duration (s): 18.6”
    
    FLAMITS record 1850; Sustainability measurement.
  - “estimated burnt biomass (%): 18.2”
    
    FLAMITS record 2044; Consumability measurement.
- Primary study Fonda2001: Fonda, R. W. (2001). Burning characteristics of needles from eight pine species. Forest Science, 47, 390-396.
  
  Shared row context: plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Fonda2001-7; sampling ND.
  - Shared measurement context: Combustibility measurement.
    - “flame height (cm): 67.3”
      
      FLAMITS record 3372.
    - “mass loss rate (g/s): 0.03”
      
      FLAMITS record 3376.
  - Shared measurement context: Sustainability measurement.
    - “flaming duration (s): 63.5”
      
      FLAMITS record 3373.
    - “burning duration (s): 423.8”
      
      FLAMITS record 3374.
  - “burnt biomass (%): 81.4”
    
    FLAMITS record 3375; Consumability measurement.
- Primary study Fonda2004: Fonda, R., & Varner, J. (2004). Burning characteristics of cones from eight pine species. Northwest Science, 78, 322-333.
  
  Shared row context: plant part cones; fuel dead; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Fonda2004-6; sampling august to october.
  - Shared measurement context: Combustibility measurement.
    - “flame height (cm): 50.1”
      
      FLAMITS record 3422.
    - “mass loss rate (g/s): 0.02”
      
      FLAMITS record 3427.
  - Shared measurement context: Sustainability measurement.
    - “flaming duration (s): 605”
      
      FLAMITS record 3423.
    - “smouldering duration (s): 1652”
      
      FLAMITS record 3424.
    - “burning duration (s): 2257”
      
      FLAMITS record 3425.
  - “burnt biomass (%): 44”
    
    FLAMITS record 3426; Consumability measurement.
- Primary study Guerrero2021: Guerrero, F., Hernández, C., Toledo, M., Espinoza, L., Carrasco, Y., Arriagada, A., ... Carmona, C. (2021). Leaf thermal and chemical properties as natural drivers of plant flammability of native and exotic tree species of the valparaíso region, Chile. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18, 7191.
  
  Shared row context: plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site Guerrero2021-1; sampling summer.
  - Shared measurement context: Ignitability measurement.
    - “time to flaming (s): 19.81”
      
      FLAMITS record 4620.
    - “ignition frequency (%): 50”
      
      FLAMITS record 4635.
    - “flammability value: 3”
      
      FLAMITS record 4640.
  - Shared measurement context: Sustainability measurement.
    - “flaming duration (s): 9.77”
      
      FLAMITS record 4625.
    - “burning duration (s): 44.01”
      
      FLAMITS record 4630.
  - “calorific value (kcal/kg): 4972.77”
    
    FLAMITS record 4645; Combustibility measurement.
- Primary study Martin1989: Martín, E., & Miguel, L. (1989). Inflamabilidad y energía de las especies de sotobosque
  
  Shared row context: plant part twigs; predrying yes; device epiradiator; site Martin1989-9.
  - Shared measurement context: Ignitability measurement; fuel live; sampling january.
    - “time to flaming (s): 20”
      
      FLAMITS record 7755.
    - “ignition frequency (%): 98”
      
      FLAMITS record 8154.
  - Shared measurement context: Ignitability measurement; fuel dead; sampling january.
    - “time to flaming (s): 4”
      
      FLAMITS record 7756.
    - “ignition frequency (%): 100”
      
      FLAMITS record 8155.
  - Shared measurement context: Combustibility measurement; fuel live; sampling ND.
    - “calorific value (kcal/kg): 5143”
      
      FLAMITS record 7909.
    - “calorific value (kcal/kg): 5385”
      
      FLAMITS record 7910.
  - Shared measurement context: Ignitability measurement; fuel live; sampling ND.
    - “flammability value: 3”
      
      FLAMITS record 7958.
    - “flammability value: 5”
      
      FLAMITS record 7959.
- Primary study Msweli2020: Msweli, S. T., Potts, A. J., Fritz, H., & Kraaij, T. (2020). Fire weather effects on flammability of indigenous and invasive alien plants in coastal fynbos and thicket shrublands (Cape Floristic Region). PeerJ, 8, e10161.
  
  Shared row context: plant part branches; fuel all; predrying yes; device grill; site Msweli2020-1; sampling february to november.
  - Shared measurement context: Ignitability measurement.
    - “time to flaming (s): 20.9”
      
      FLAMITS record 9492.
    - “time to flaming (s): 11.2”
      
      FLAMITS record 9582.
  - Shared measurement context: Combustibility measurement.
    - “maximum flame temperature (°C): 668.85”
      
      FLAMITS record 9522.
    - “maximum sample temperature (°C): 662.04”
      
      FLAMITS record 9612.
  - Shared measurement context: Consumability measurement.
    - “burnt biomass (%): 85.63”
      
      FLAMITS record 9552.
    - “burnt biomass (%): 83.56”
      
      FLAMITS record 9642.
- Primary study Salvo2015: Salvo-Aires, F. (2015). Effects of woody weeds on fuels and fire behaviour in Eastern Australian forests and woodlands. PhD. Dissertation. University of Sydney.
  
  Shared row context: plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying yes; device calorimeter; site Salvo2015-1; sampling ND.
  - “time to flaming (s): 33”
    
    FLAMITS record 11656; Ignitability measurement.
  - Shared measurement context: Combustibility measurement.
    - “maximum energy flux (kW/m²): 201”
      
      FLAMITS record 11693.
    - “mass loss rate (g/s): 0.17”
      
      FLAMITS record 11767.
    - “calorific value (kcal/kg): 3623.29”
      
      FLAMITS record 11841.
    - “energy flux (kW/m²): 138”
      
      FLAMITS record 11878.
  - “flaming duration (s): 178”
    
    FLAMITS record 11730; Sustainability measurement.
  - “burnt biomass (%): 85”
    
    FLAMITS record 11804; Consumability measurement.
- Primary study Wyse2016: Wyse, S. V., Perry, G. L. W., O'Connell, D. M., Holland, P. S., Wright, M. J., Hosted, C. L., ... Curran, T. J. (2016). A quantitative assessment of shoot flammability for 60 tree and shrub species supports rankings based on expert opinion. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 25, 466-477.
  
  Shared row context: plant part branches; fuel all; predrying yes; device grill; site Wyse2016-3; sampling ND.
  - “ignition frequency (%): 66.7”
    
    FLAMITS record 14364; Ignitability measurement.
  - “maximum sample temperature (°C): 234”
    
    FLAMITS record 14424; Combustibility measurement.
  - “burning duration (s): 10.5”
    
    FLAMITS record 14484; Sustainability measurement.
  - “estimated burnt biomass (%): 10.6”
    
    FLAMITS record 14544; Consumability measurement.
- Primary study Varner2022: Varner, J. M., Shearman, T. M., Kane, J. M., Banwell, E., Jules, E., & Stambaugh, M. (2022). Understanding flammability and bark thickness in the genus Pinus using a phylogenetic approach. Scientific Reports, 12, 7384.
  
  Shared row context: plant part litter; fuel all; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Varner2022-19; sampling ND.
  - “flame height (cm): 72”
    
    FLAMITS record 15721; Combustibility measurement.
  - Shared measurement context: Sustainability measurement.
    - “flaming duration (s): 38.6”
      
      FLAMITS record 15722.
    - “smouldering duration (s): 595.6”
      
      FLAMITS record 15723.
  - “burnt biomass (%): 92.2”
    
    FLAMITS record 15724; Consumability measurement.
- Primary study Belcher2017: Belcher, C. M., & Hudspith, V. A. (2017). Changes to Cretaceous surface fire behaviour influenced the spread of the early angiosperms. New Phytologist, 213, 1521-1532.
  
  Shared row context: plant part litter; fuel all; predrying no; device calorimeter; site Belcher2017-1; sampling .
  - Shared measurement context: Ignitability measurement.
    - “time to flaming (s): 49”
      
      FLAMITS record 15850.
    - “time to flaming (s): 6”
      
      FLAMITS record 15852.
  - “calorific value (kcal/kg): 14.84”
    
    FLAMITS record 15855; Combustibility measurement.
- Primary study Miller2022: Miller, T. S., Filkov, A. I., & Penman, T. D. (2022). Improved laboratory method to test flammability metrics of live plants under dynamic conditions and future implications. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 32, 277-295.
  
  Shared row context: plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying yes; device radiant panel; site Miller2022-1; sampling may 2019.
  - Shared measurement context: Ignitability measurement.
    - “time to smoke (s): 48”
      
      FLAMITS record 16504.
    - “time to smoke (s): 462”
      
      FLAMITS record 16505.
    - “time to smoke (s): 1”
      
      FLAMITS record 16506.
    - “time to smoke (s): 1”
      
      FLAMITS record 16507.
    - “time to smouldering (s): 57”
      
      FLAMITS record 16520.
    - “time to smouldering (s): 515”
      
      FLAMITS record 16521.
    - “time to smouldering (s): 48”
      
      FLAMITS record 16522.
    - “time to smouldering (s): 378”
      
      FLAMITS record 16523.
    - “time to flaming (s): 102”
      
      FLAMITS record 16536.
    - “time to flaming (s): 558”
      
      FLAMITS record 16537.
    - “time to flaming (s): 73”
      
      FLAMITS record 16538.
    - “time to flaming (s): 422”
      
      FLAMITS record 16539.
  - Shared measurement context: Sustainability measurement.
    - “burning duration (s): 137”
      
      FLAMITS record 16552.
    - “burning duration (s): 574”
      
      FLAMITS record 16553.
    - “burning duration (s): 141”
      
      FLAMITS record 16554.
    - “burning duration (s): 555”
      
      FLAMITS record 16555.
- Primary study Valdivieso2014: Valdivieso, J.P., & Rivera, J.D.D. (2014). Effect of Wind on Smoldering Combustion Limits of Moist Pine Needle Beds. Fire Technology, 50, 15891605.
  
  Shared row context: Sustainability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel dead; predrying no; device scale wind tunnel; site Valdivieso2014-1; sampling ND.
  - “rate of burning spread (cm/s): 0.12”
    
    FLAMITS record 17634.
  - “rate of burning spread (cm/s): 0.18”
    
    FLAMITS record 17635.
  - “rate of burning spread (cm/s): 0.06”
    
    FLAMITS record 17636.
  - “rate of burning spread (cm/s): 0.13”
    
    FLAMITS record 17637.
  - “rate of burning spread (cm/s): 0.21”
    
    FLAMITS record 17638.
  - “rate of burning spread (cm/s): 0.16”
    
    FLAMITS record 17639.
  - “rate of burning spread (cm/s): 0.11”
    
    FLAMITS record 17640.
  - “rate of burning spread (cm/s): 0.11”
    
    FLAMITS record 17641.
  - “rate of burning spread (cm/s): 0.15”
    
    FLAMITS record 17642.
  - “rate of burning spread (cm/s): 0.07”
    
    FLAMITS record 17643.

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Last verified 2026-08-24. JSON (CC BY 4.0)

Profiles: USDA PLANTS · GBIF · iNaturalist · Wikidata · Wikipedia · ITIS

Pinus radiata (Radiata pine). FireApproved. https://fireapproved.com/plants/pinus-radiata/. Last verified 2026-08-24.

1. Fire evidence and conditions

2. Why this plant is relevant here

3. Legal, ecological, and broader status

Native and introduced range evidence

1

0

0

Plant hardiness evidence

Conditions in the fire evidence

The evidence

Avoids (1)

Mid-scale / conditional (2)

Related plants

Fire-resistant trees instead