4 types of plants you don’t want in your yard

​“One of my favorite plants is tall phlox,” she says. “They’re fragrant, they’re colorful, but oh my gosh, some of them are really resistant to powdery mildew, and some of them are

terrible.” Her solution? Removing susceptible cultivars from her flower beds and replacing them with varieties that are disease resistant. ​ ​“Keep in mind that the more disease you allow to

be in the garden, the more disease you’ll have,” she says. ​ Rosemary Getty Images 4. FIRE RISKS​ ​This winter’s Marshall fire near Boulder, Colorado, which destroyed over 1,000 homes, is

a tragic reminder of the increased risk of wildfires, says Christopher Jones, who’s responsible for agriculture and natural resources extension programs at the University of Arizona. The

latest strategy for fire safety is to prevent wildfire embers from igniting materials — including plants — around a house, he says. ​ ​“Now they say no plants within zero to 5 feet of the

structure, and we’re recommending that you use containers, things you can move out of the way in case of a fire,” he says.​ ​Jones offers presentations on how to be fire wise, and several

western state extension services distribute an ember awareness checklist. While no plant species is totally fireproof, deciduous plants tend to be the most fire resistant because the leaves

have a high moisture content, he says. That’s opposed to plants that have mechanisms to retain moisture — including conifers, junipers and pines, and arborvitae. “They have needles or scales

so they can hold that moisture,” he says. “That's done because of the oils and resins that are in those needles. The presence of [those oils] just allows them to really burn hot.”​

​Aromatic plants are dangerous, Jones says, since it’s the oils that make them smell so good. Rosemary is one example. “Great, easy plant for us to grow around here,” Jones says, “but if it

catches on fire, it’s going to burn very hot.” ​ ​Even a fire-wise plant can become a problem if it isn’t kept trimmed and free of detritus. “You want to keep them well maintained rather

than allowing a lot of dead material to build up around them,” Jones says. ​ ​Fire risk is yet another reason to avoid invasive plants, Jones says. Buffel grass and red brome, for instance,

are range grasses that were introduced into the West and have contributed to wildfires, he says. ​ ​For more information on how to protect yourself and your property, check with your

extension service or fire department. ​