California Hedgenettle
Stachys bullata
A shade-tolerant native perennial with pollinator value and favorable fire characteristics; best used beyond the 5-foot ember-resistant area with appropriate moisture, spacing, and maintenance.
At a Glance
Get the essentials at a glance—from sun and water needs to mature size, maintenance, wildlife benefits, and landscape function. These characteristics can help you determine whether this plant is a good fit for your garden, site conditions, and resilience goals.
Sun
Part shade-shade
Water
Moderate–high
Soil
Well-drained–moist
Slope
Flat-moderate
Mature Height
2–3 ft
Mature Width
2–4 ft
Location
Shaded garden / woodland edge / foothill
Maintenance
Low-moderate
Firewise Status
Favorable fire characteristics — site-specific placement required
Wildlife Benefits
bees; butterflies; hummingbirds
Ecological Functions
Pollinators; habitat; erosion control; native plant diversity
Primary Garden Goals
Shade garden; pollinators; native plant diversity
Why This Plant?
A shade-tolerant native perennial that brings lavender-pink flowers, pollinator value, and woodland character to appropriately placed foothill gardens. It is also included on a California fire-safer plant list, making it an interesting candidate for shaded areas outside the ember-resistant area next to a home.
No plant is fireproof. Fire-resilient landscaping combines the right plant in the right place, with appropriate spacing, irrigation, and ongoing maintenance.
Firewise Maintenance Notes
Remove dead or dying material and accumulated plant litter regularly; maintain healthy growth and appropriate spacing so vegetation does not form continuous horizontal or vertical fuel. Keep plantings open and free of accumulated dry debris, particularly near structures.
Defensible Space Context
Potentially useful in shaded areas beyond the 5-foot ember-resistant zone when appropriately placed and maintained. Do not use as a Zone 0 recommendation.
High Fire Severity Zone
Fire-wise candidate — placement and maintenance matter
LACoFD Landscape Zone
No LACoFD sample-zone designation
LACoFD Placement Guide
5 ft from structure minimum
Deep Dive
Los Angeles County Fire Department
Current guidance on the three ignition zones, plant selection, spacing, and landscape management.
LA County Recovers
Local experts on native plants, landscape design, maintenance, and wildfire resilience in Southern California.
Theodore Payne Foundation
Calscape / California Native Plant Society
Explore California native plants and match plants to local site conditions. LA County also directs residents to Calscape for native-plant resources.
UC ANR Fire Network — Right Plant, Right Place, Right Care
UC ANR specifically notes that all plants can burn under the right conditions and discusses pruning, irrigation, cleanup, spacing, and plant characteristics.
UC ANR Fire Network — Defensible Space
A detailed explanation of the 0–5 ft, 5–30 ft, and 30–100+ ft defensible-space zones, including how vegetation spacing and maintenance change across the landscape.