San Diego County Native Plants:

Since you won’t have to write a book report due in September for credit, we hope that you enjoy reading and learning about native plants as you explore the region on your summer holiday.  Our recommended reading is San Diego County Native Plants (second edition) by James Lightner.  2006.  This easily accessible, lightweight and colorful guide is an excellent resource for all native plant enthusiasts in southern California, because many of the San Diego plants are widespread throughout the region.

Here is what people are saying about San Diego County Native Plants:

“Finally, here is a book that concentrates on San Diego County and only features species known to be in the area.  The book is as portable as Beauchamp’s, and is filled with wonderful pictures.  Even advanced botanists [are] quite pleased with Lightner’s book…  In his guide, Lightner takes an approach that needs to be used in more wildflower guides: Instead of providing a single picture for each plant, he typically includes two to three photos showing various aspects of the plant… anyone with more than a passing interest in San Diego County plants will most certainly want to get a hold of this book.”

-Tom Chester, Fremontia: Journal of the California Native Plant Society. Vol. 34, No. 2.  April 2006.

“Perhaps most notably, plants of the desert and desert transition areas have been included in this edition, as have many coastal, foothill, and mountain species not previously included…  The only color-photo non-technical guide covering the entire County, San Diego County Native Plants (second edition) does a remarkable job at packing a large amount of information into a highly useful and attractive package that is easy to carry into the field.  The book has much to offer to the amateur and professional alike and should be in all the field packs of all who wish to know the flora of San Diego County on any level.”

-Michelle Balk, Crossosoma: A Journal of the Southern California Botanists, Inc.  Vol. 31, No. 2.  Fall-Winter 2005.

 Corrections to the second edition and a comprehensive list of where to buy Lightners’ book is available on the website: www.sandiegoflora.com.  The book is available here at Tree of Life Nursery and we are fortunate to have all of our copies of San Diego Native Plants signed by the author.  Stop by on your way for a day-hike in San Diego sometime soon!