Interest in California's beautiful native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers is at an all-time high. Yet identification and classification of the state's vast and varied flora can be challenging for both amateurs and professionals. This book provides a superb way for learning to identify California's native and naturalized plants by learning to recognize plant families. The heart of the book contains user-friendly keys and descriptions of seventy major families prominent in wildlands. With this book in hand, anyone will be able to identify common native and naturalized species throughout California's majestic floristic province extending from southwestern Oregon into northern Baja California and to the western side of the major mountain ranges. “Belongs in the library of gardeners who have a strong interest in California native plants.” ― Monterey County Herald Published On: 2009-06-01 “Offers readers a simple and unique system to identify native and naturalized California plant species. . . . Tossed on your dashboard or into your daypack, this is a fun and enlightening book for the casual outdoor visitor or the serious student of California’s diverse plant world.” ― North County Times Published On: 2009-11-16 “When you venture into the mountains or high deserts, this is a book you certainly don’t want to leave behind.” ― Bookloons Reviews Published On: 2010-07-14 “If you’re really a botany nerd, you will want . . . California Plant Families .” ― Placerville Mountain Democrat Published On: 2010-07-14 “Will be useful to amateurs and even trained botanists!” ― Botanical Rsrch Inst Of Tx, Jbrit Published On: 2010-11-09 “Great learning tool to utilize in the field since it is just the right weight and size to fit in a day-pack.” ― Crossosoma Published On: 2011-06-07 Glenn Keator, a California plant specialist, is coauthor, with Alrie Middlebrook, of Designing California Native Gardens (UC Press) and author of Introduction to Trees of the San Francisco Bay Area (UC Press) and The Life of an Oak, among other books.