CNPS Redbud Chapter
Welcome
Field Trips
Newsletters
Native Plant Photos
Local Floras
Other Links
This versatile guide:
- Describes 520 species of wildflowers, illustrating the plants and their diverse habitats with over 600 color photographs -
- Contains valuable information on Native American uses of plants, insects pollination, history, medicine, origin of plant names and more -
- Highlights 21 trails and other locales famous for their wildflower displays in the spring and early summer -
- Applies well beyond Nevada and Placer counties for the region is host to 38 percent of all plant species known to grow wild in California -
- Covers elevations from the valley grasslands up through the foothills and across the crest to the east side of the Sierra -
Wildflowers of Nevada and Placer Counties, California is published by CNPS Press and is priced at $29.95. Copies may be ordered directly from the California Native Plant Society’s on-line store at www.cnps.org .
In addition, they are now available at the book stores, nature stores, parks, welcome centers and nurseries listed below:
(Retailers information click here)
Auburn
Book Haven – 884 Lincoln Way #27
Eisley Nursery – 380 Nevada Street
Placer County Visitors Center – 13411 Lincoln Way
Placer Nature Center – 3700 Christian Valley Road
Wild Bird Station – 1153 Grass Valley Highway
Winston Smith Books – 933 Lincoln Way
Bassetts
Bassett’s Station – Corner of Highway 49 & Gold Lake Road
San Francisco State, Sierra Nevada Field Campus
(Highway 49, about one mile north of Bassett’s Station)
Berkeley
Berkeley Horticultural Nursery – 1310 McGee Avenue
Bishop
Spellbinder Books – 124 S. Main Street
Camp Richardson
Camp Richardson Resort, General Store – 1900 Jameson Beach Road (Highway 89)
Carmichael
Effie Yeaw Nature Center – Ancil Hoffman Park, 2850 San Lorenzo Way
Chico
Lyon Books – 121 W. 5th Street
Citrus Heights
Capital Nursery – 5410 Sunrise at Madison
Clearlake
Wild About Books – 14290 Olympic Drive
Davis
Avid Reader – 617 2nd Street
The Naturalist – 605 2nd Street
Redwood Barn Nursery – 1607 Fifth Street
UC Davis Bookstore – One Shields Avenue
El Dorado
Books ‘n Bears – 6211 Pleasant Valley Road
Foresthill
Forest Hill Divide Historical Society Museum – 24601 Harrison Street
Georgetown
Frog Pond Antiques & Gifts – 6271 Main Street
Graeagle (Lakes Basin Recreation Area)
Elwell Lakes Lodge – off Gold Lake Road
Gold Lake Lodge – off Gold Lake Road
Grass Valley
The Book Seller – 107 Mill Street
Empire Mine State Park – 10791 E. Empire Street
Nevada County Farm Supply – 1020 Whispering Pines Lane
Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply – 125 Clydesdale Court
Sierra College Bookstore – 250 Sierra College Drive, Building C-100
Weiss Bros, Nursery – 615 Maltman Drive
Wild Birds Unlimited – 119 Neal Street
Words on Paper – 143 Mill Street
Hope Valley
Sorensen’s Resort – 14255 Highway 88
Incline Village, Nevada
High Sierra Gardens – 866 Tahoe Boulevard
Nevada City
The Earth Store – 310 Broad Street
Harmony Books – 231 Broad Street
J.J. Jackson's – 244 Commercial Street
Prospectors Nursery – 10003 Granholm Lane
Tahoe National Forest Headquarters – 631 Coyote Street
North Bloomfield (“ghost town” 26 miles northeast of Nevada City)
Malakoff Diggins State Park – 23579 North Bloomfield Road
(Take Tyler Foote Rd turnoff from Highway 49 & follow main paved road to park)
Penn Valley
Nevada County Farm & Nursery – 17115 Penn Valley Drive
South Yuba River State Park (Bridgeport) – 17660 Pleasant Valley Road
Placerville
Placerville News Company – 409 Main Street
Reno, Nevada
Sundance Bookstore – 1155 W. 4th Street
Rocklin
Sierra College Bookstore – 5000 Rocklin Road, Building K
Roseville
Barnes & Noble – Creekside Town Center, 1256 Galleria Boulevard
Maidu Interpretive Center – 1960 Johnson Ranch Drive
Sacramento
Avid Reader at The Tower – 1600 Broadway
Barnes & Noble – Arden Faire, 1725 Arden Way
Barnes & Noble – Natomas, 3561 N. Freeway Boulevard
Capital Nursery – 4700 Freeport Boulevard
Doubleday – 545 Downtown Plaza
Talini's Nursery – 5601 Folsom Boulevard
Wild Birds Unlimited – Loehmann’s Plaza, 2561 Fair Oaks Boulevard
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden – 1212 Mission Canyon Road
Tahoe City (in town)
Alpenglow Sports – 415 N. Lake Boulevard
Bookshelf @ The Boatworks – 760 N. Lake Boulevard
Tahoe Tree Company- 401 West Lake Boulevard
Tahoe City (parks south of town on Highway 89)
Bliss Visitor Center – D.L. Bliss State Park – Highway 89 (17 miles south)
Sugar Pine Nature Center – Sugar Pine State Park – Highway 89 (10 miles south)
Vikingsholm Visitor Center – Emerald Bay State Park - Highway 89 (19.5 miles south)
Truckee
Bookshelf @ Hooligan Rocks – 11310 Donner Pass Road
Emigrant Trail Museum -Donner Memorial State Park – 12593 Donner Pass Road
Mountain Hardware & Sports – 11320 Donner Pass Roa
Truckee Book & Bean – 10009 West River Street
Truckee Ranger Station – 9646 Donner Pass Road
Villager Nursery – 10678 Donner Pass Road
Reviews
- Residents and visitors alike are fortunate to have this delightful new and very accessible wildflower guide in print at last. Conceived of in 1999 by members of the Redbud Chapter of CNPS, it is finally available thanks to their combined talents and efforts. The cover immediately invites one into one of many beautiful settings found within these two counties. Photographs throughout the book pay tribute to the special beauty of both the wildflowers and the landscape.
In a wonderfully complete yet brief set of pieces, tribute is generously paid to Gordon True and Lillian Mott, early plant hunters who inspired and taught many, including some of the authors; an informative and useable discussion of the two counties’ geography and setting that includes good maps and illustrative photos; and brief but well thought out information about invasive weeds, fire management, and warnings about improper plant collection.
Next, a useful informative chapter provides information about places to see wildflowers omplete with directions of how to get there. I would love to have had this list years ago. It is very inviting. An interesting nicely written chapter starts off with advice about looking at wildflowers and using the book and ends with short well-written descriptions of the various plant communities found in the two counties.
Then comes the largest section, the plant descriptions arranged by family. Descriptions are brief but informative and include information such as bloom times, elevation, and many details that help assure the plant hunter that “this is the right plant”. A good hotograph accompanies each entry. A complete checklist and glossary follow the plant descriptions.
Anyone, amateurs and professionals, who likes wildflowers will treasure this attractive informative book. There is something for everyone no matter his or her level of knowledge or interest in this Redbud Chapter publication. The authors and CNPS chapter are to be congratulated for a work well done and a delightful addition to the botanical publications found in California.
Phyllis M. Faber - Editor - University of California Press, Former Vice President of Publications – CNPS, Co-founder – Marin Agricultural Land Trust
- Wildflowers of Nevada and Placer Counties, California by members of the Redbud Chapter of the California Native Plant Society is fantastic. The pictures alone will draw people to look at this book. They really give people the idea of why botanists enjoy wildflowers. Including trails that people can use to find the wildflowers that are highlighted is also a great idea.
The descriptions of the flowers are easy to understand but are also technically correct. And the photographs of each flower clearly display the distinguishing characteristics that will make this a practical reference. Both of these features will make the book easy to use for both people new to wildflower identification and to those that have been enjoying wildflower identification for many years. The checklist is an extra addition for those that are interested in knowing if a particular species is found in these counties.
The book has a great flow and shows the enthusiasm of the folks that have worked together to produce such a fine product. Topics covered blend well together and will make this a handy resource. I look forward to using it on one of the trails highlighted.
Linnea Hanson – botanist & rare plants specialist – Plumas National Forest, Oroville, Co-founder of Northern California Botanists
- This remarkably comprehensive flora represents some 500 species found in California’s northern Sierra Nevada foothills and mountains. This is my local CNPS chapter, and I had the pleasure of reviewing the concise ethnobotanical information provided for over 100 plants. The photography is stunning and illustrates not only each plant, but also areas where the flowers can be found. There is also an extensive bibliography.
Kathi Keville - Director of the American Herb Association, Author of 11 Herb and Aromatherapy Books, Founding Member of American Herbalists Guild
- Wildflowers of Nevada and Placer Counties is the ideal guide for the Sierra botanist. Joyful scholarship and rigorous attention to detail are evident in every page of this magnificent book. The photographs are stunning and well chosen to show the general impression of the plants as well as critical details. The carefully worded text is concise and well organized. I am particularly delighted with the richness of the comments on ach species. Each plant has a story, from Native American history and uses to the latest scientific research. With this book in hand, you will appreciate the diversity of the Sierra flora, how each plant fits into a broader ecological context, and our role as stewards of this rich resource.
John Muir Laws - Naturalist, Illustrator & Author – The Laws Guide to the Sierra Nevada. Heyday Books/California Academy of Sciences
- “Wildflowers of Nevada and Placer Counties” authors have written the very book we all wished we could have found when we began our exquisite adventure with the endlessly fascinating world of plants. It is written with beauty and sensitivity to the various skills of readers who will use this book to explore. The clarity and organization walk the reader through a concise but rich summary of the habitats of the Sierra Nevada and then bring us home to meet the family. And not just any family, but those plant families that we’re most likely to meet in our travels!
Honestly, it’s a spectacular piece of work! This treatise is a wonderful invitation to not only the novice wildflower explorer, but also to long-time naturalists and outdoor aficionados. Those who wish to “Know its Name” will find it here, either by the absolutely beautiful photos or through a more meaningful and detailed exploration of how plants are taxonomically grouped into families with similar characteristics. This scheme will surely bring plant fanciers to a more sophisticated understanding of the richly intricate relationship of plants.
Especially valuable is how the book introduces two key conservation concepts, to keep in mind, when exploring plants in the wild: plant collecting and non-native or invasive plants. The conservation of the State of California’s incredibly diverse and unique natural vegetation and spectacularly rich flora will depend on each of us helping others to understand plant rarity, local importance, and how they are displaced by more competitive non-native plants. This book offers a clear, helpful, and very important message, within each species description, to conserve our native habitats and flora, hile we enjoy their wonder, for our pleasure and for the pleasure of many futuregenerations of plant enthusiasts.
Lastly, this book offers so much more to the discrete reader. The wonder of the botanical world in its complex multi-dimensionality; the visual, fragrance and texture. The species accounts provide intriguing details about the smells, textures, insect co-evolutionary relationships and ethno-botanical uses that add to our understanding and appreciation of our native flora.
Thank you, Redbud Chapter for this sensitive rich treatise on such an important resource.Your work will open the hearts and minds of many to the importance and wonder of the treasure of the Sierra Nevada Flora. Kudos to all the wonderful people who have invested their life energy to create such a gift.
Jenny C. Marr - Botanist & Staff Environmental Scientist, California Department of Fish and Game
- Is there anyone who feels comfortable lugging around a copy of The Jepson Manual on a field trip? Eventually the book gets ragged and dirty and tired-out, and so do we. With the publication of Wildflowers of Nevada and Placer Counties, only the real diehards will continue to strain their backs lugging Jepson in the northern Sierra . Covering some 500 species of frequently-seen wildflowers, this new book zeroes in on a specific area—conveniently omitting the multitude of species not found there. As a result, it weighs a lot less than Jepson and leaves room in your backpack for a sandwich and a water bottle.
Wildflowers…has another advantage: magnificent color photographs.
It also provides the sort of descriptive and ecological detail that the hiker or backpacker needs to feel comfortable with identifications. All too often the field-guide user is left wondering whether it is reasonable to expect a given species in a given place. A place-specific, well-annotated volume like this removes that problem. I am recommending it to all my graduate students, most of whom are not native Californians and need to get familiar with the floras they encounter in their field work. It also includes valuable information on the threats to our native flora—from exotics and from developers alike.
A second volume on woody plants is in the works.
Of course, there is no way a book like this can include all the species of Lotus, Lupinus, Arabis, Eriogonum or other richly-represented genera in the northern Sierran flora. We will still have to refer to our Jepson. We just won’t have to do so on the Pacific Crest Trail halfway between Lake Mary and Anderson Peak!
Arthur Shapiro – professor of evolution & ecology – University of California, Davis,
Author – Field Guide to Butterflies of the San Francisco Bay & Sacramento Valley Regions – University of California Press
Last updated
September 26 , 2008