A guidebook to identify the plants and wildflowers of the Santa Barbara foothills and Southern California.

Rundel introduces readers to the plant communities of the Southern California coastal areas and foothills, including color photos of 250 species and additional color habitat photos.

Wildflowers of Orange County and the Santa Ana Mountains includes Orange County, Santa Ana Mountains, Whittier-Puente-Chino Hills, Prado Basin, Temescal Valley, Elsinore Basin, Santa Rosa Plateau, San Mateo Canyon wilderness area, and San Onofre State Beach. This publication is a novice-friendly, technically accurate guide to wildflowers of cismontane southern California. Tailored to Orange Country and adjacent portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego Counties. it will prove a useful tool to identify and learn plant families, genera, and species in the Golden State.

Medicinal Herbs of California is the first statewide field guide to more than 70 common medicinal plants of California. This vital addition to the California naturalist’s shelf will introduce readers to the principles of herbal remedies, history and roots in native cultures, scientific information, and how to find and incorporate medicinal plants into daily life. Inside you’ll find: Photos and descriptions to help with positive identification Common and scientific names and the plant families Conservation status Modern and traditional uses The science behind natural phytochemicals that have earned these plants a place in Native American medicine for thousands of years.

"A comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and deeply felt guide to one of the world's most beautiful and varied regions. Santa Barbara and the neighboring counties of San Luis Obispo and Ventura comprise a transitional zone where the plants and animals of Northern California mix with those of the south, creating diverse and dynamic habitats. Lucid explications of the geological and ecological forces that continue to shape and reshape the area are interspersed with personal accounts, as the author delights in the salty breath of a two-hundred-ton whale near the Channel Islands, the antics of beach hoppers along the shoreline, the explosion of wildflowers on the Carrizo Plain, memories of exploring the chaparral with her father, excursions into oak woodlands, and hikes to lofty peaks and canyons cloaked with pinyon pine and juniper. Enhanced with ample, specially commissioned photographs, maps, and charts, this book will broaden our understanding and deepen our enjoyment of a unique and constantly surprising region."--Back cover.

California Plants is an essential resource for outdoor enthusiasts. With his vibrant photographs and lively writing, Matt Ritter takes the reader on a journey through the Golden State's iconic landscapes and abundant plant life. This definitive guide features more than 500 species, along with detailed descriptions, fascinating natural history stories, and handy tree and wildflower color identification charts.

We bring the strength and beauty of the natural world into our urban landscapes by planting trees, and California is blessed with a rich horticultural history, visible in an abundance of cultivated trees that enrich our lives with extraordinary color, bizarre shapes, unusual textures, and unexpected aromas. A Californian's Guide to the Trees among Us features over 150 of California's most commonly grown trees. Whether native or cultivated, these are the trees that muffle noise, create wildlife habitats, mitigate pollution, conserve energy, and make urban living healthier and more peaceful. Used as a field guide or read with pleasure for the liveliness of the prose, this book will allow readers to learn the stories behind the trees that shade our parks, grace our yards, and line our streets. Rich in photographs and illustrations, overflowing with anecdote and information, A Californian's Guide to the Trees among Us opens our eyes to a world of beauty just outside our front doors.