Grain Amaranth. It gets tall & decorative and its very sturdy. I'd grow it if I had the space. There are many colors. Here is a link that might be useful: http://search.aol.com/aol/imageDetails?s_it=imageDetails&q=grain+amaranth+seed+southwest&img=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.shopify.com%2Fs%2Ffiles%2F1%2F0157%2F0808%2Fproducts%2FMayo_Grain_Amaranth_large.jpg%3Fv%3D1395265917&v_t=nscpsearch&host=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.nativeseeds.org%2Fcollections%2Famaranth&width=181&height=135&thumbUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcTilOKzW_2k5YOmDigK3eKqDXHT1yLfQqjD9dgWDjF0z1JyVJAJn_VV-Ma2Sw%3Acdn.shopify.com%2Fs%2Ffiles%2F1%2F0157%2F0808%2Fproducts%2FMayo_Grain_Amaranth_large.jpg%253Fv%253D1395265917&b=image%3Fs_it%3DimageResultsBack%26v_t%3Dnscpsearch%26q%3Dgrain%2Bamaranth%2Bseed%2Bsouthwest%26oreq%3D99f088a5331942dd812c1ac4c13f5d74&imgHeight=360&imgWidth=480&imgTitle=Mayo+Grain&imgSize=131732&hostName=shop.nativeseeds.org

I'm not well-versed in conifers, but do have a list at work from a presentation given by our Ag. Agent "Underutilized Trees & Shrubs". If I can remember, I'll bring it home; anything suited to our area should do just as well in yours. Right off the top of my head, two deciduous woody plants with good winter interest are the river birch (betula nigra) 'Heritage' and redosier dogwood. 'Heritage' is better suited to our hot summers than white birch, and is resistant to many of the pests and diseases; as it matures, it also develops a lovely an interesting exfoliating bark. There are a few different varieties of the redosier dogwoods now, with different coloration. They thrive in full sun to part shade, but will have better winter color in full sun. Winterberry holly is deciduous, and you need both male and female plants, but will have a beautiful display of bright red berries in winter - for the birds or to cut and bring indoors (use them as supports for your forced paperwhite bulbs ... great combination). I'm glad to see you've chosen the serviceberry (shadbush, amelanchier, etc.). Check the different varieties for the characteristics you prefer - some have more vibrant fall foliage than others. The berries are very attractive to wildlife (I didn't realize chipmunks climbed trees until I saw one gathering berries in one of the serviceberries at our park). The berries are edible for humans, if you can get to them before the wildlife does! They taste a lot like blueberries. One of my favorite local nurseries is also a good resource for information, rarefindnursery.com. Even if you don't order anything from them, you will find a lot of photos and information and I've always found it to be reliable. Ah, sweetbay magnolia (magnolia virginiana) - another native, semi-evergreen, very fragrant blooms (heavy in June, intermittently thereafter), seeds are colorful and food for wildlife. The undersides of the leaves are silvery, making a nice display when they flutter in the breeze. Choose an upright or multi-branching variety, according to your needs. Like serviceberry and river birch, they do well in a moist soil. Ninebark (physocarpus) is another deciduous native, for sun or partial shade. 'Diablo' is a dark red leaved cultivar with contrasting clusters of tiny pale pink flowers. I'm sorry, I should never get started.

Suggest you google on fire resistant Australian natives. I know many of these species are available in California. You can also find information on how to landscape your property to increase fire resistance and resilience through accessing Australian sites. There's been a lot of work done there with this in mind. You might also consider your water capture systems, your paving, and escape routes, the actual architecture of your home and what it's made of, plus the types of mulch you use. Australia has had some severe bush fires in the last three years or so. The states of Victoria and New South Wales are regularly affected - and put out useful information for home gardeners as a consequence. For reducing your grass - a weed wacker/weed eater can be very useful for steep berms and slopes. You MUST have footwear with non-slip soles, plus ear and eye protection. And a useful second pair of hands wielding a hay rake to bring the material down to the compost heap. Long term - plant up your slope with your fire resistant species and reduce the amount of work you do.

Well, if you Google Vaccinium elliotii, you will see that Growing Wild Nursery out of North Carolina lists it for sale for $14. They mention in comments "this plant is sometimes listed as Vaccinium corymbosum; Vaccinium elliottii is very distinct, having much narrower leaves." The one that Ron has is listed as " Vaccinium elliot." I was really looking to get the Mayberry which is also a butterfly/moth larval host plant, but I think that what I got was not exactly what I was thinking. Still, it's a native Blueberry and will satisfy a lot of what I was hoping for, so I am good. It's all a bit confusing. :)