Most chaparral plants have small leaves that conserve water, one way they survive hot summers with virtually no rain. "We're standing in a biodiversity hotspot right now, and chaparral is unique ...

Native plant species are at home in local climates and soils, do not interfere with local ecosystems and need less water than exotic species.

Sprouts are budding where not too long ago burned vegetation filled the hillsides after the Franklin and Palisades fires.

HABITAT: The Hermes copper is dependent for survival on its spiny redberry host plant, common in cismontane California coastal sage scrub and chaparral vegetation communities. But for unknown reasons, ...