Artificial hedges and living walls sit between two parts of the fire code. Decorative vegetation is judged against NFPA 701 flame-propagation criteria. Interior wall finish follows the building code's finish classification, most often the ASTM E84 tunnel test. Knowing which question your reviewer is asking puts the right document in front of them.
Hotel lobby living wall
Geranium Street fire-documented products carry NFPA 701 Method 2 documentation for applicable configurations. We do not represent any product as ASTM E84 classified. If your reviewer requires ASTM E84 results or California State Fire Marshal registration, raise it before ordering so the documentation can be matched to the exact product, or so we can tell you it does not exist.
NFPA 701 and ASTM E84 are often mentioned together, but they are written for different materials and produce different kinds of results. The code section your reviewer is applying decides which one matters.
Use this as a map of the two documents. The project requirement, not product marketing, determines which one you submit.
| Question | NFPA 701 | ASTM E84 (UL 723) |
|---|---|---|
| What it measures | Flame propagation of textiles, films, and other decorative materials. | Surface burning characteristics: how far flame travels along a material and how much smoke it develops. |
| Test setup | Vertical specimens exposed to a test flame. Test Method 1 applies to lighter fabrics, 700 g/m² or less, such as single-layer curtain and drapery fabrics. Test Method 2 applies to heavier fabrics and, whatever their weight, to films and non-fabric decorative materials. | A long specimen mounted as the ceiling of a horizontal tunnel, exposed to a propane flame for ten minutes while flame travel and smoke are recorded. |
| What the result looks like | Pass or fail against the criteria of the method used. | A flame spread index and a smoke-developed index. The building code sorts interior finish into classes A through C by flame spread index: 0–25 for the most restrictive class, then 26–75 and 76–200, each with a smoke-developed index of 450 or less. |
| Where the code uses it | The International Fire Code decorative-materials section (Section 807 in the 2021 edition) accepts artificial decorative vegetation that meets NFPA 701 Test Method 1 or 2, as appropriate, with manufacturer documentation, or that shows a maximum heat release rate of 100 kW under NFPA 289 with a 20 kW ignition source. Other installation limits and local amendments still apply. | International Building Code Section 803 classifies interior wall and ceiling finish by ASTM E84 or UL 723, with NFPA 286 room-corner testing as an alternative path. The required class depends on occupancy, location, and sprinkler protection. |
| What Geranium Street provides | NFPA 701 Method 2 documentation for applicable configurations of fire-documented products, on request. | Not represented. Tell us early if your reviewer requires it. |
The same greenery can be read two ways. A freestanding hedge or a potted arrangement is plainly decorative. A large wall covered edge to edge and fixed to the building can look more like a wall finish, and some reviewers classify it that way.
Neither list is a rule. Classification is the reviewer's call, and it can change with the occupancy, the location in the building, and the area covered. Ask early, in writing, and name the standard in the request.
Confirm which California code edition applies to your project; the 2025 California codes took effect January 1, 2026. The 2022 California Fire Code keeps the same decorative-materials criteria: NFPA 701 Test Method 1 or 2, as appropriate, or NFPA 289. California Code of Regulations Title 19, Section 3.08, adds a State Fire Marshal layer for decorative materials that increase fire and panic hazards in Groups A, E, I, R-1, R-2, R-2.1, R-3.1, and R-4: they must be nonflammable, or treated and maintained in a flame-retardant condition with a solution or process approved by the State Fire Marshal.
Confirm whether the project needs State Fire Marshal registration for the decorative material, or whether NFPA 701 documentation is sufficient.
Name the exact product. Geranium Street will tell you which documentation exists for it rather than substituting a similar report.
Reviewers and specifications sometimes cite these alongside NFPA 701 or ASTM E84. Each answers its own question.
| Document | What it addresses | When it comes up |
|---|---|---|
| UL 723 | The UL publication of the same tunnel test as ASTM E84. | Treated as equivalent to ASTM E84 for interior finish classification. |
| NFPA 289 | Heat release rate of an individual item burned under a calorimeter. | An accepted alternative to NFPA 701 for artificial decorative vegetation: a maximum heat release rate of 100 kW using a 20 kW ignition source. |
| UL 94 | Flammability of plastic materials used in parts, devices, and appliances. | Component specifications. It is not a substitute for NFPA 701; see the NFPA 701 documentation guide. |
| Title 19 registration | California State Fire Marshal registration of approved flame-retardant chemicals, nonflammable materials, and treated fabrics, with licensing for applicators. | California projects in the occupancy groups the regulation covers. |
A report only helps when it traces to the exact product and the reviewer's written requirement.
The reviewer's request, naming the standard: NFPA 701, NFPA 289, ASTM E84, UL 723, or State Fire Marshal registration.
Product name or SKU, foliage, backing or frame, and whether the documented configuration matches what will be installed.
Occupancy, the room or corridor, wall and ceiling area covered, and whether the installation is permanent or temporary.
Substrate, support, and attachment method. The documentation covers the tested material; mounting and surrounding materials may need separate review.
Keep the requirement, the product, and the document request together.
What NFPA 701 can and cannot tell a reviewer, and how to assemble a traceable document package.
The code framework each state has adopted for decorative materials, with primary sources.
Send the product, venue, location, dimensions, and reviewer requirement so the correct documents can be matched.
These answers describe the codes in general. Project-specific acceptance always belongs to the reviewer responsible for that project.
No. NFPA 701 evaluates flame propagation of textiles, films, and decorative materials, and the fire code uses it for artificial decorative vegetation. ASTM E84 measures flame spread and smoke development across interior wall and ceiling finish materials. They answer different code questions, and one does not substitute for the other.
Under the International Fire Code, artificial decorative vegetation meets the requirement when it satisfies NFPA 701 Test Method 1 or Test Method 2, as appropriate, with manufacturer documentation, or when it shows a maximum heat release rate of 100 kW under NFPA 289 using a 20 kW ignition source. The reviewer for your project confirms which applies, along with any other installation limits and local amendments.
Geranium Street does not represent its products as ASTM E84 classified. Fire-documented products carry NFPA 701 Method 2 documentation for applicable configurations. If your reviewer requires ASTM E84 or UL 723 results, raise it before ordering.
Test Method 1 covers lighter fabrics with an areal density of 700 g/m² or less, such as single-layer curtain and drapery fabrics. Test Method 2 covers heavier fabrics and, whatever their weight, films and non-fabric decorative materials. Geranium Street documentation for applicable products is under Test Method 2.
Confirm which California code edition applies to your project; the 2025 California codes took effect January 1, 2026. The 2022 California Fire Code uses the same NFPA 701 and NFPA 289 criteria for decorative materials, and California Code of Regulations Title 19 adds State Fire Marshal requirements for decorative materials in certain occupancies. Ask your reviewer whether State Fire Marshal registration is required, and ask us which documentation exists for the exact product.
No. A test report is evidence about a tested material. The venue, fire marshal, building official, or other authority having jurisdiction decides whether the product, the amount installed, and the mounting method are acceptable for the project.
Send the reviewer's written requirement and the exact product. Geranium Street will match the applicable documentation or tell you when the requested coverage is not available.