The shrubland biome with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters found in California is chaparral.
Chaparral is a plant community shaped by a Mediterranean climate. In California, most rainfall arrives during the cooler months, while summers are often hot and very dry. The vegetation is dominated by dense, woody shrubs such as chamise, manzanita, ceanothus, and scrub oak, many of which have small, tough evergreen leaves that reduce water loss.
Fire is a major part of chaparral ecology. Many species can resprout from underground structures after a blaze, while others have seeds whose germination is encouraged by heat or smoke. Naturally, fires may be separated by decades or more, allowing the shrubland to mature into dense thickets.
Chaparral is sometimes mistaken for desert because both endure summer dryness, but chaparral usually receives substantially more precipitation and supports thicker shrub cover. It is also distinct from savanna, which is generally dominated by grasses with scattered trees. The name comes from the Spanish chaparro, meaning scrub oak.