A quick look at how trees regenerate after fire, in particular aromatic trees. By aromatherapist, gardener, and herbalist Sharon Falsetto Chapman. 

Many trees are built to withstand extreme climates and weather conditions. Think of boreal forests, for example. But what about those trees which live in common fire zones? How do they survive and how do these trees regenerate after such devastation? These trees are described as “fire resilient.” When a landscape is devastated by fire, these aromatic trees have worked out a way to protect their life source (seeds) from complete devastation and carry new life forward.

In a world of increasing drought and fire events, this is good news for some of our precious aromatic botanicals. Learn more about how trees regenerate after fire.

How Trees Regenerate After Fire

There are a number of ways in which aromatic trees survive fire. These include:

• Thick, protective bark
• Serotinous cones
• Seeds activated by fire¹
• Epicormic sprouting.²

Below is an example of aromatic trees which use these methods.

Fire Resilient Aromatic Trees

• Trees with Thick, Protective Bark: Pondarosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). This is a common tree in the American southwest, an area prone to wildfires. The tree has a thick and easily stripped bark “which perfectly withstands a low-intensity, surface fire. The species also drops lower branches as the trees grow older, which helps prevent fire from climbing up and burning the green needles higher up the tree.”¹ Periodic prescribed fire burns also help ponderosa pine saplings become established.³ Trees with thick protective bark acts as an insulation agent for the tree during a fire.
• Serotinous Cones: Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). Another common tree of the American southwest, also distilled into a less common essential oil used in aromatherapy for respiratory and analgesic conditions. Lodgepole pine trees have serotinous cones which “glue shut” with resin. The resin melts and is activated by the heat of fire, causing the pinecone to drop and open up, distributing new seeds of life.¹
• Seeds Activated by Fire: Coffeeberry (Frangula californica). Although not used as an essential oil in aromatherapy, coffeeberry was used by Native Americans in traditional medicine. Coffeeberry seeds can lie dormant for years. With a tough outer coating, the seeds depend on fire to break their dormancy and generate new life.^1,4
• Epicormic Sprouting: Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus). The Eucalyptus tree regenerates itself after fire from lignotubers, located on underground roots or stems which contain bud and food reserves. The lignotubers use fire as a stimulant to develop new growth.²

Learn More about Aromatic Trees 

Check out our Botanical Aromatherapy™ membership school for Materia Medica on trees commonly used in aromatherapy.

References:

1. National Forest Foundation. 2017. Mullen, L. How Trees Survive and Thrive After a Fire.
2. Australian National University. 2011. Tulip, Z. Fire Adaptative Traits of Eucalypts.
3. Weaver, H. 1968. Fire and its relationship to ponderosa pine, in Komarek, E. V., Proceedings California [7th] Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference. Lake County, CA. Tall Timbers Research, Inc.,Tallahassee, FL. p. 127-149. Accessed from: https://www.frames.gov/catalog/31854
4. McMurray, Nancy E. 1990. Frangula californica. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/shrub/fracal [2025, February 6].

About the Author:

The author of this article has been working in the health care industry since the 1990’s and in the aromatherapy industry since the 2000’s. She is a UK-certified aromatherapist, a NAHA Certified Professional Aromatherapist®, a gardener, and a certified herbalist with several years of study. She is also a botanical perfumer.

Sharon is both a published author and editor in aromatherapy, a consultant, and custom blend formulator. She is the author of Authentic Aromatherapy and the current chief editor of the NAHA Aromatherapy Journal. Sharon works from her garden studio in Sedona, Arizona, where she gardens and distills plants from her own aromatic gardens, surrounded by natural fauna and flora on an original pioneer homestead property.