California Plants A Guide to Our Iconic Flora

About this book

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.

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Biography

Matt Ritter studies cultivated trees and trees that escape cultivation. He has a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and a Ph.D. in plant development biology. He is currently a botany professor in the biological sciences department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and director of the plant conservatory there. He has authored numerous scientific papers about plants and contributed to botanical references including the second edition of The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California and the Flora of North America Project. He holds a Kenan Fellowship at the National Tropical Botanical Gardens, is the Ray Collett Visiting Scholar at the UC Santa Cruz arboretum, teaches for the Organization of Tropical Studies in Costa Rica, and is the chair of the City of San Luis Obispo Tree Committee.