{"id":"umbellularia-californica","license":"CC-BY-4.0","data":{"scientificName":"Umbellularia californica","commonNames":["California laurel"],"taxonRank":"species","acceptedName":"Umbellularia californica","family":"Lauraceae","ids":{"gbifKey":5371727},"regions":["EE. UU."],"rangeAssertions":[{"relation":"native","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["CA"],"regions":["TDWG level 1 7 — NORTHERN AMERICA","TDWG level 2 76 — Southwestern U.S.A.","TDWG level 3 CAL — California"]},"occurrenceStatus":"present","presenceStatus":"extant","source":"wcvp-v16","sourceVersion":"16","asOf":"2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z"},{"relation":"native","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["OR"],"regions":["TDWG level 1 7 — NORTHERN AMERICA","TDWG level 2 73 — Northwestern U.S.A.","TDWG level 3 ORE — Oregon"]},"occurrenceStatus":"present","presenceStatus":"extant","source":"wcvp-v16","sourceVersion":"16","asOf":"2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z"}],"plantForm":"tree","evidence":[{"source":"maire-1962-landscape-to-prevent-fire","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"PLANTS FOR FIRE PROTECTION","claims":"Umbellularia californica (California laurel) appears in the source's conditioned examples for landscaping irrigated hillsides. Fuel volume is to be minimized, plants watered to their needs, and accumulated litter removed.","plantPart":"whole-plant","condition":"green","sourcePlacement":{"value":"irrigated hillsides","scheme":"maire-1968-fire-protection-landscape"},"edition":"AXT-254","url":"https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951d02962519x","documentDate":"1968-01-01T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"lubin-shelly-1997-ucfpl-compilation","verdict":"mixed","verdictRaw":"Conflicting information on fire performance.","claims":"1997 Landscape Vegetation Database row: Umbellularia californica (California bay/laurel, Oregon myrtle). Preserved UCFPL transcription marker: C8.","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"Chapter 4, Landscape Vegetation Database","scheme":"ucfpl-1997"},"edition":"Internal Report 36.01.137 (July 1997)","url":"https://www.firesafemonterey.org/uploads/1/0/6/5/10653434/uc_forestproductslabdefensiblespaceplantlist_ocr.pdf","documentDate":"1997-07-01T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"flamits","verdict":"not-rated","verdictRaw":"flaming duration (s): 73","score":{"value":73,"scale":"FLAMITS — flaming duration (s)"},"claims":"FLAMITS record 13563; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Varner2017-1; sampling ND. Primary study Varner2017: Varner, J. M., Kuljian, H. G., & Kreye, J. K. (2017). Fires without tanoak: the effects of a non-native disease on future community flammability. Biological Invasions, 19, 2307-2317.","plantPart":"litter","original":"Varner2017","edition":"Dryad version 9","url":"https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h18931zr3","documentDate":"2023-12-22T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"flamits","verdict":"not-rated","verdictRaw":"flame height (cm): 65.4","score":{"value":65.4,"scale":"FLAMITS — flame height (cm)"},"claims":"FLAMITS record 13568; Combustibility measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Varner2017-1; sampling ND. Primary study Varner2017: Varner, J. M., Kuljian, H. G., & Kreye, J. K. (2017). Fires without tanoak: the effects of a non-native disease on future community flammability. Biological Invasions, 19, 2307-2317.","plantPart":"litter","original":"Varner2017","edition":"Dryad version 9","url":"https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h18931zr3","documentDate":"2023-12-22T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"flamits","verdict":"not-rated","verdictRaw":"smouldering duration (s): 146.7","score":{"value":146.7,"scale":"FLAMITS — smouldering duration (s)"},"claims":"FLAMITS record 13573; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Varner2017-1; sampling ND. Primary study Varner2017: Varner, J. M., Kuljian, H. G., & Kreye, J. K. (2017). Fires without tanoak: the effects of a non-native disease on future community flammability. Biological Invasions, 19, 2307-2317.","plantPart":"litter","original":"Varner2017","edition":"Dryad version 9","url":"https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h18931zr3","documentDate":"2023-12-22T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"flamits","verdict":"not-rated","verdictRaw":"burnt biomass (%): 77.6","score":{"value":77.6,"scale":"FLAMITS — burnt biomass (%)"},"claims":"FLAMITS record 13578; Consumability measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Varner2017-1; sampling ND. Primary study Varner2017: Varner, J. M., Kuljian, H. G., & Kreye, J. K. (2017). Fires without tanoak: the effects of a non-native disease on future community flammability. Biological Invasions, 19, 2307-2317.","plantPart":"litter","original":"Varner2017","edition":"Dryad version 9","url":"https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h18931zr3","documentDate":"2023-12-22T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"}],"flammabilityClass":"fire-resistant","ratingReason":"limited-evidence","recommendation":"on-list","author":"grayson-graham","reviewStatus":"draft","lastVerified":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},"localAssessmentInputs":{"stateDistribution":[],"nativeStates":[],"rangeAssertions":[{"relation":"native","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["CA"],"regions":["TDWG level 1 7 — NORTHERN AMERICA","TDWG level 2 76 — Southwestern U.S.A.","TDWG level 3 CAL — California"]},"occurrenceStatus":"present","presenceStatus":"extant","source":"wcvp-v16","sourceVersion":"16","asOf":"2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"},{"relation":"native","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["OR"],"regions":["TDWG level 1 7 — NORTHERN AMERICA","TDWG level 2 73 — Northwestern U.S.A.","TDWG level 3 ORE — Oregon"]},"occurrenceStatus":"present","presenceStatus":"extant","source":"wcvp-v16","sourceVersion":"16","asOf":"2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"}],"usdaZoneMin":null,"usdaZoneMax":null,"hardinessAssertions":[],"hardinessSelection":{"status":"none","assertions":[]},"invasiveIn":[],"statusAssertions":[],"fireEvidenceClass":"fire-resistant","recommendation":"on-list","fireSourceScopes":[{"source":"lubin-shelly-1997-ucfpl-compilation","sourceName":"Defensible Space Landscaping in the Urban/Wildland Interface: A Compilation of Fire Performance Ratings of Residential Landscape Plants","sourceUrl":"https://www.firesafemonterey.org/uploads/1/0/6/5/10653434/uc_forestproductslabdefensiblespaceplantlist_ocr.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["CA"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"The UC Forest Products Laboratory says the guide covers properties of common California landscaping plants and was prepared for California fire agencies. FireApproved publishes 130 exact owners at historical California publication scope. The report is a 1997 compilation, not a current endorsement, site rating, or independent test of every row.","sourceVersion":"UCFPL-Internal-Report-36.01.137-1997-07","asOf":"1997-07-01T00:00:00.000Z"}],"firePerformanceConditions":[{"condition":"green","evidence":[{"source":"maire-1962-landscape-to-prevent-fire","verdict":"recommend","url":"https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951d02962519x","claims":"Umbellularia californica (California laurel) appears in the source's conditioned examples for landscaping irrigated hillsides. Fuel volume is to be minimized, plants watered to their needs, and accumulated litter removed.","evidenceIndex":0}]}],"maintenanceAssertions":[],"maintenanceConditions":null,"regulatoryReviews":{},"seedReviews":{}},"legacyCompatibilityProjection":{"nativeStates":["CA","OR"],"invasiveIn":[]},"localAssessmentContract":"Compare each dimension separately. State noxious-weed seed designations are material-scoped and never become non-seed plant restrictions, ecological-invasive findings, nursery restrictions, alternatives, product evidence, or fire votes. Introduced/established context is not an invasive warning. Minimum-only hardiness has no inferred maximum; canonical source-temperature conversion is validated and contradictory applicable rows project no primary zone. L48 context applies only to conterminous states and is never exact-state status. Fire-performance conditions are not maintenance advice. FEIS fire-ecology context does not vote in the plant classification. Absence of a status row is not regulatory clearance."}