Fire dependent - only blooms after a fire. Depends on chemical bath of charcoal and charcoal and water to bloom. In the dry climate that exists in southern California, plant material decomposes very slowly. The fungi and bacteria need moisture to begin the decomposition process. In a land too dry for vegetation to rot, fire recyles life.
Fire hastens the function of recycling nutrients.
As the chaparral shrubs grow, dry brush and material accumulate underneath them. Over the years, the dry brush material continues to grow in density. When the fire occurs, it reduces the dead brush material to mineral nutrients that are essential to production of plant life. The interval between fires depends on the amount and moisture content of the fuel, source of ignition and weather conditions. It usually takes 20 or 30 years to build up enough fuel for large, intense chaparral fires.