Help Preserve the Chaparral Biome in California
What's Chaparral?
The chaparral biome in California is the state’s most extensive native plant community, covering foothills and mountain slopes across much of the region. It forms the deep green backdrop to California’s coastal cities, the soft tones surrounding the gold country along the Sierra’s western slopes, and serves as a vital wilderness escape for the state’s growing population. Drive into the hills near nearly any southern California metro area, and you’ll find yourself immersed in chaparral.
What Chaparral isn't: It's not a plant. It's not an herb sold in health food stores (the chaparral sold in bottles is actually crushed leaves from the creosote bush, a desert shrub). It's not a 1960s television show (The High Chaparral ran from 1967 to 1971). Chaparral doesn't "need" to burn, and it hasn't become overgrown due to past fire suppression. It's not found outside North America (see world map below).
What Chaparral isn't: It's not a plant. It's not an herb sold in health food stores (the chaparral sold in bottles is actually crushed leaves from the creosote bush, a desert shrub). It's not a 1960s television show (The High Chaparral ran from 1967 to 1971). Chaparral doesn't "need" to burn, and it hasn't become overgrown due to past fire suppression. It's not found outside North America (see world map below).
Watch this video by our friend Jack 4 the Planet
for an interesting discussion of all things chaparral
BEWARE
Much of what you can find on the internet about chaparral is incorrect. Myths are pervasive.
From misconceptions about fire, to what it looks like, to the animals you can find there,
the claims made by many websites can be comical.
If you find something questionable, please send us a note.
Where's the Chaparral?
It's in every county in California,
as shown in blue and red on the map.
Chaparral Area in California by County (in acres)
San Diego 1,003,441Los Angeles 553,789Riverside 499,160Santa Barbara 440,645San Luis Obispo 417,718Monterey 369,345Ventura 326,447 San Bernardino 276,010 San Benito 246,623 Santa Clara 188,427 Orange 111,550 Marin 37,566 San Mateo 36,152 Santa Cruz 32,328
San Diego 1,003,441Los Angeles 553,789Riverside 499,160Santa Barbara 440,645San Luis Obispo 417,718Monterey 369,345Ventura 326,447 San Bernardino 276,010 San Benito 246,623 Santa Clara 188,427 Orange 111,550 Marin 37,566 San Mateo 36,152 Santa Cruz 32,328
Acres of chaparral from Fried, J.S., C.L. Bosinger, and D. Beardsley. 2004. Chaparral in Southern and Central Coastal California in the mid-1990s.Map from Parker, V.T. 2020. Chaparral of California. In Goldstein, M.I., DellaSala, D.A., (eds.), Encyclopedia of the World's Biomes. Elsevier. Addendum: There's a small patch of chaparral in the southwestern corner of Imperial County that barely shows, but it's there!
The Basics
The chaparral biome is a semi‑arid, shrub‑dominated association of sclerophyllous (hard‑leaved) woody shrubs shaped by a Mediterranean‑type climate, marked by summer drought, mild wet winters, and infrequent, high‑intensity fires with natural intervals of 30 to 150 years or more. Within this chaparral biome, there are many unique chaparral types, each adapted to its region and conditions.
The term sclerophyllous was coined by German botanist Andreas F. W. Schimper in 1898. In his classic 844‑page Plant Geography Upon a Physiological Basis, referring to Mediterranean climatic regions (there are five worldwide), he wrote: “The mild temperate districts with winter rain and prolonged summer drought are the home of evergreen xerophilous (dry‑loving) woody plants, which, owing to the stiffness of their thick, leathery leaves, may be termed sclerophyllous woody plants.”
Sclerophyllous leaves are especially advantageous in a semi‑arid climate because they reduce evaporation through traits such as waxy coatings, thicker cell layers, and recessed stomata—the tiny pores in leaves that allow evaporation and gas exchange. The chaparral biome is primarily a California phenomenon, extending slightly into southern Oregon in areas like the Rogue River Valley and sparsely into Baja California. There are also fascinating chaparral “islands” at higher elevations in parts of Arizona, such as the Catalina Mountains above Tucson. A related shrubland without a Mediterranean climate, called Petran chaparral, is found in the central Rocky Mountains and Northeastern Mexico. Chaparral‑like shrublands sharing species such as manzanita and ceanothus are also present in west Texas and along the eastern sides of mountains in central Mexico. Although the largest and most pristine stands of chaparral occur in California between 500 and 4,500 feet in elevation, beautiful stands can also be found along the coast. Red shanks chaparral appears at 7,000 feet in the San Jacinto Mountains of Riverside County. If there is one defining characteristic across nearly all chaparral types, it is the presence of chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), the ecosystem’s most pervasive shrub. We have identified the primary chaparral types in California based on dominant shrub species, geography, and soil type. To deepen your understanding of these ecosystems and their diversity, consider joining our chaparral naturalist course, or explore our Chaparral Types page to see them for yourself.
The term sclerophyllous was coined by German botanist Andreas F. W. Schimper in 1898. In his classic 844‑page Plant Geography Upon a Physiological Basis, referring to Mediterranean climatic regions (there are five worldwide), he wrote: “The mild temperate districts with winter rain and prolonged summer drought are the home of evergreen xerophilous (dry‑loving) woody plants, which, owing to the stiffness of their thick, leathery leaves, may be termed sclerophyllous woody plants.”
Sclerophyllous leaves are especially advantageous in a semi‑arid climate because they reduce evaporation through traits such as waxy coatings, thicker cell layers, and recessed stomata—the tiny pores in leaves that allow evaporation and gas exchange. The chaparral biome is primarily a California phenomenon, extending slightly into southern Oregon in areas like the Rogue River Valley and sparsely into Baja California. There are also fascinating chaparral “islands” at higher elevations in parts of Arizona, such as the Catalina Mountains above Tucson. A related shrubland without a Mediterranean climate, called Petran chaparral, is found in the central Rocky Mountains and Northeastern Mexico. Chaparral‑like shrublands sharing species such as manzanita and ceanothus are also present in west Texas and along the eastern sides of mountains in central Mexico. Although the largest and most pristine stands of chaparral occur in California between 500 and 4,500 feet in elevation, beautiful stands can also be found along the coast. Red shanks chaparral appears at 7,000 feet in the San Jacinto Mountains of Riverside County. If there is one defining characteristic across nearly all chaparral types, it is the presence of chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), the ecosystem’s most pervasive shrub. We have identified the primary chaparral types in California based on dominant shrub species, geography, and soil type. To deepen your understanding of these ecosystems and their diversity, consider joining our chaparral naturalist course, or explore our Chaparral Types page to see them for yourself.
TEN REASONS CHAPARRAL IS SO AWESOME
1. Birthplace of Western Civilization
2. Vino Veritas and More
3. The Greatest Bear of Recorded Time
4. Sexual Diversity
5. Breathtaking Biodiversity
For additional details and the following five reasons,
please visit our online journal Chaparral Wisdom.
There are five Mediterranean climate regions on earth that have similar native shrublands, but each has its own, unique characteristics and species mix.
In California, the characteristic native shrubland is called the chaparral.
In Central Chile, the matorral;
In South Africa, the fynbos;
Southwestern Australia has two: the kwongan healthlands
and the Eucalyptus shrub-dominated community, the mallee.
The Mediterranean Basin has the maquis.
And a less dense version on poor, limestone soils, the garigue.
Since the overall appearance of Mediterranean shrublands is similar in all five locations,
Californians can feel at home when visiting Spain, France, or central Chile.
World map showing the Mediterranean-type climates. From Rundel and Pompelli.