If you don’t know where to start. Here’s the place to get inspired, some basic knowledge and understand the deep beauty that can come to us as we get past our nature deficit disorder. An enjoyable read that will open paths that you didn’t know were out there. This isn’t a landscaping guide or info about specific plants.

Great local magazine that covers many of the interesting places and unique habitats of the San Francisco bay area. Occasional articles about growing local plants. Also, reviews of books. Check out their website baynature.org for info on back issues.

This field guide provides a good introduction to the most common trees in the bay area. Also mentions some of the more common introduced trees from other areas. Plant key and individual descriptions assist greatly in noting the differences between similar plants.

Available at the Stanford campus bookstore. This book maps out the location of trees and shrubs found on the Stanford campus. A mix of local and introduced plants. A few illustrations and copier scans of the leaves. A great way to spend the day and see mature specimens and some of the variety of plants that can grow in the Bay Area.

A combination of local and introduced plants. Many color photos, family descriptions followed by species description and horticultural remarks on growing. I’m not sure why this text has become so expensive and hard to find. It would be nice to see a less expensive reprint, it does have lots of good info.

From a gardener’s perspective, here’s lots of information about selecting, growing, and identifying plant’s for your landscape. Lots of color photographs and good cultivation information. Great appendix information for gardens to see California Native Plants and a list of sources for purchasing plants.

The definitive key of plants of California. Does contain some horticultural data on specific plant species. While this volume may seem over the head for many, it is the one place to find an account of every species. It also deals with the name changes that can be confusing from text to text.

This is an identification guide that is focused on keying out individual species. Arranged alphabetically by family. Line drawings of individual species and a section of close up color photos. Since there are not plant descriptions I often use this text with The Jepson Manual or Flora of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Very complete book, first half deals with garden and landscape use. The second half is species identification and distribution in the wild. Great photographs and illustrations. The diversity and distribution of this genus is worth every gardener and botanist attention.

Also check out: Before the Wilderness: Environmental Management by Native Californians (Ballena Press Anthropological Papers, No. 40) by Kat Anderson

Not many wild orchids are in cultivation but this beautifully done book can help instruct people about where this rare group of plants can be found and protected. Good photographs for ID, along with descriptions that cover habitats, distribution, pollinators, and blooming season. Distribution maps according to county. Nothing is more astounding then to see a tiny wild orchid through a hand lens.

The complexity of microclimates in the Bay Region is unique. This small text gives a context to how and what types of plants may grow where you live. Whether, you just moved here or grew up here, you’ll find lots of info in this book.