Creature Feature: Chamise

It fades into the background of our Chaparral landscapes, but Chamise plays an outsized role in wildfire prediction and management.

This month's creature feature is perhaps one of the most relevant plants to wildfire in California. Meet Chamise.

Chamise (shuh-MEESE), AKA Greasewood, AKA iipshi, AKA Adenostoma fasciculatum, is the most widespread plant in the Golden State. Chamise shrubs grow in the Chaparral habitat, and come spring, they burst into sprays of delicate, white flowers that support numerous pollinators. Mule deer munch Chamise year-round, and woodrats collect and store their leaves for winter meals.

Chamise is highly adapted to dry climes. Tiny, leathery leaves prevent water loss, while 12-foot-deep root systems make the most of low water tables. The plant thrives on sunny slopes with terrible soil, eking out a living with next to no water for months on end.

And like a wise Californian, Chamise also has several forms of fire insurance.

The first form is revealed by its second name—greasewood. Chamise's branches and leaves are quite oily, supposedly encouraging wildfires to pass through quicker. Fast-moving fires leave root systems and seed banks intact. When flames reduce the branches to ashes, a thick burl left behind at the base of the plant springs back to life, resprouting almost immediately.

If the burls don't survive, Chamise has another trick up its sleeve: seeds that detect char chemicals and high heat, germinating in response.

And if fire doesn't come? No problem. Chamise makes non-fire-dependent seeds too. You could say this shrub is really hedging its bets.

These sneaky strategies have earned chamise a bad rap in some circles. Many folks living in the wildland-urban-interface claim Chamise is so flammable, it will even spontaneously combust (it won't). Individuals, agencies, and government leaders often call for its large-scale removal. They probably don't realize that Chamise has proven itself as one of our best tools for predicting the next big wildfire.

I'll leave you here with some homework: Read this article from WIRED about Chamise's role in fire prediction models, then enjoy this poem from Orion Magazine. Then sign up for my Wildfire 101 Walks to learn more about our native species, indigenous history, and weather patterns as they relate to wildfire in the Chaparral.