I'd consider this a critical addtion to your library if you want to really learn about plant characteristics. It contains an illustration of nearly every entry, and it is assembled like a dictionary. When you start handling questions about a plant being tomentose or glaucus, this is the book to reach for to understand what you need to look for.

A decent way to start with local flora is to take this lightweight copy of Weeden's book. The advantage of having the selection of plants limited to the general area is a big help. Petereson's (shown below) is a better book to get familiar with plant families, but the Sierra Nevada Flora covers just the foothills to the alpine Sierra and there's a lot to like in that.

Note: even in this fourth edition of Sierra Nevada Flora there are a number of errors which are yet to be fixed. This edition does have two pages (!) of errata but it would be nice to see the actual text get fixed. These errors will not likely bother the majority of users, however.

I haven't yet read this brand new book but the previews have me anxious to see it! I ordered it amd am waiting, but it looks like it wil be an excellent book for the daypack. A bit pricey ($40) but if it lives up to what I believe it to be, money well spent.

UPDATE: I received the book. THUMBS DOWN! Read my review at Amazon.

Everyone starts out wanting to match plant pictures (color photos) to the plants they find in the field. The problem is, color photos are often more confusing than helpful. The Peterson Guides are loaded with simple line drawings which highlight the most inportant characteristics of a plant. The plant families are described and you actually learn to use a key. You won't find every plant but you will find close matches to all major families. An excellent beginner resource.

[NOTE: For more than ten years already, a project called Deep Green has been evaluating plant family groupings. Many changes have been made but neither Peterson's nor many (any?) other field guides are yet updated! Not really a problem if you understand that some changes are going to sound confusing. Check theses changes that affect our El Dorado County plant lists.]

Uh, maybe not in a day, but sooner than without the book! This is a generally good guide for learning to recognize families of plants, which in many cases is about as far as some people want to take it. You may not want to identify an absolute species but you could still say, "Oh, that's a member of the Rose family!" and that's good too.

Having just said that color photos are not the best way to ID a plant, here we have good local color photos to work with. Since most people ignore the advice to start with b/w guides, Graf's book is a very complete photo ID book for most of the plants you will find as you explore the Desolation Wilderness, Carson Pass, and areas around Lake Tahoe.

NOTE: This link is not an Amazon link. It takes you to a page for Half.com and you can find the book for as little as $2.00 used or just $5–10 NEW. Shipping is extra, but what a deal.

A general introduction to most common plants from around 5000' and above. If you visit Wrights Lake or the Desolation Wilderness, you will find most of the flowers shown in this book. It's small enough to fit into a back pocket.

A general introduction to most common plants around east side of Carson Pass down to Sonora Pass. Caron Pass is home to a surprising number of plants that creep over from the drier east side. And if you venture off to Mono Lake or Monitor Pass, etc., this is a book to carry with you.

This is the gold standard for plant ID books in California. It's $95 new, intimidating to the inexperienced, and worth the investment if you want to become experienced. Shop for a new one or buy a used one as there are many changes in the nomenclatures and a new edition is still a few years away. You need this if you're serious.

All the inspiration you will need to start thinking that a trip to the coast, or the desert, or some other part of the state just might be a nice thing to do once in awhile. There are so many interesting habitats. (By the way, check some local trips: habitats)

Three Books by Michael Pollan:

In 2001, Botany of Desire came out with a story of four different plants that had taught Mankind how to do the plants’ work for them plant’s benefit! This makes more sense as you read the info on Amazon, but trust me, this is a botany book that is very pleasureable reading. Wait until you read about apples!

The Botany of Desire: "Working in his garden one day, Michael Pollan hit pay dirt in the form of an idea: do plants, he wondered, use humans as much as we use them? While the question is not entirely original, the way Pollan examines this complex coevolution by looking at the natural world from the perspective of plants is unique. The result is a fascinating and engaging look at the true nature of domestication."

In Defense of Food: What we want to eat has been ousted by the notion of what we should eat, and it's at this nexus of hunger and hang-up that Michael Pollan poses his most salient question: where is the food in our food?

An Omnivore’s Dilemma: "a fascinating journey up and down the food chain, one that might change the way you read the label on a frozen dinner, dig into a steak or decide whether to buy organic eggs."

Sierra Flower Finder

From the foothills on up to above tree line, this inexpensive ($4) little book fits in a back pocket and has drawings that will help you match up common plants in "flash card" style. It is a great starter book for kids, but it works well for adults too! Not intimidating at all. It covers the most common plants and you will identify many flowers on your first day of using it. If you're buying another book, add this. Otherwise, check at the Placerville News Stand it's too cheap to pay shipping for just this one book. Of course you might also buy it with the Fern Finder, and add the Sierra Flora or Peterson.

Fern Finder

Ferns are easily passed over when colorful flowers are screaming for attention, but you really need to stop and take a look at them. Flower guides will do you no good: ferns don't flower! Instead you will be checking their leaves and spore patterns. Fortunately ferns are pretty easy to identify: they are often visually distinct, and they are also usually specific to a habitat. You're going to find ferns from the redwoods to Death Valley, and there are some areas around Placerville that make great fern walks even in winter. You'll enjoy having one of these little books.

Butterflies through Binoculars: West

This is a terrific catalog of photographs of western species, showing both "top view" (resting with wings spread) and side view image (wings folded upright) of all the species we will see in our travels. If you're a beginner like I am, it might be interesting to learn that the underside of the wing is more informative than the showy, colorful top when trying to identify a butterfly. This is a most worthwhile book, with really clear photos.

It is a very good idea to have a pair of close focusing binoculars. I bought a pair of Pentax Papilio 8.5x21 Binoculars and they are superb!