Fire Followers

Fire followers are plants whose seeds germinate only in response to fire-specific cues: heat, smoke chemicals, or cleared competition. Fire poppies, whispering bells, and dozens of other species remain dormant in soil for decades, invisible, waiting for fire. When fire comes, they erupt in massive flowering displays that last one or two seasons before returning to dormancy until the next fire.

The germination cues are remarkably specific. Smoke chemicals (karrikins) trigger germination in many species. Heat shock breaks dormancy in others. Some require both. The seeds have evolved to detect fire with precision, avoiding germination after false signals like hot summer days. The trigger must indicate actual fire, not just heat.

Fire followers face an interesting timing problem: they must flower, set seed, and return to dormancy before post-fire shrubs close the canopy. Most are annuals that complete their entire life cycle in one growing season. They sacrifice longevity for speed, grabbing the post-fire window before it closes.

The business insight is that specialist strategies require precise timing of market entry and exit. Fire followers thrive in the narrow window between disturbance and recovery. Companies that specialize in post-disruption opportunities - acquiring distressed assets, providing transition services, recruiting displaced talent - must enter fast and exit before the window closes. Missing the window means decades of dormancy.