Chamise

Chamise is the dominant shrub of California chaparral, covering millions of acres of fire-prone hillsides. It practices dual-strategy fire adaptation: resprouting from lignotubers when fire kills the above-ground plant, and maintaining a soil seed bank that germinates after fire. This belt-and-suspenders approach makes chamise nearly impossible to eliminate - even intense fires that kill resprouting ability still trigger seed germination.

The plant's relationship with fire goes beyond survival to active promotion. Chamise produces highly flammable dead wood that accumulates in the canopy, and its leaves contain volatile oils that burn intensely. After 20-30 years without fire, chamise stands become so fuel-laden that ignition is almost inevitable. The plant isn't just fire-adapted; it's fire-promoting.

Chamise seed banks demonstrate impressive longevity. Seeds can remain dormant in soil for 100+ years, waiting for fire's heat and smoke to break their dormancy. A chamise stand that appears to be aging out may still contain millions of viable seeds from plants that died decades ago. The population persists through time in invisible form.

The business insight is that some competitive advantages require periodic disruption to manifest. Chamise's seed bank is worthless without fire; its resprouting ability is untested without damage. Companies with dormant capabilities - patents that aren't commercialized, talent that isn't deployed, options that aren't exercised - may need disruption to reveal their competitive position.