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ISBN 978-0-692-57276-451495$14.95

Discovering the miracle of wildflowers isn’t a thrill reserved for scientists. Nature lovers of every age and background can indulge in the excitement of botanical exploration.

California’s San Gabriel Mountains—a hundred steps through this world is a hundred discoveries. Tucked among the hills, living in extremes of temperature, light and moisture are more than 600 kinds of flowering plants. Readers of this user-friendly guide can swiftly and successfully identify the blooms with vibrant color photographs capturing both the plant in its full glory and the intricacies of each blossom. Detailed descriptions provide each flower’s historical and contemporary uses and tell explorers when blooms are most likely. Common names and the origins of scientific names are included. Best of all, the flowers in the guide are grouped by color, so trekkers in the San Gabriels can quickly find the plant in question.

of the

San Gabriel Mountains

and Watershed

Second Edition

Ann Croissant, PhD.

and Gerald Croissant, PhD.

Photography by Shirley DeBraal

Wildflowers

Wildflow

ers of the San Gabriel M

ountains and Watershed Second EditionNature Science / Botany

The wildflowers are keyed by four basic colors: red, blue, yellow, white. Using the predominant color of the flower, locate the color section using the thumb guides on the sides of the pages. The tables below show the common names of each flower in each section.

12

34

56

78

Find Wildflowers by Color

Bush or Heart-leaved Penstemon

Bush Mallow California Fuchsia Canchalagua (Cen-

taury) Chocolate Lily (Mission

Bells) Clarkia (or Farewell-to-

Spring) Columbine Elegant Clarkia Filaree (Storksbill) Fuchsia-flowered

Gooseberry Gilia Indian Paintbrush Indian Pink

Owl’s Clover Prickly Phlox Rock Rose Scarlet Larkspur Scarlet Monkeyflower Scarlet Pimpernel Western or Wild Peony Wild Radish Wishbone Bush

Baby Blue-eyes Bird’s-eye Gilia Black Sage Blue Dicks Blue-eyed Grass Brodiaea California Milkweed

Chia Lupine Mountain Lilac Penstemon Phacelia Poodle-dog Bush Purple Nightshade

Purple Sage Thistles White Sage Wild Canterbury Bells Vetch Woolly Blue Curls

Bird’s-foot Trefoil Bladderpod Blazing Star Brittlebush Bush Monkeyflower California Poppy Common Sunflower Deerweed Dudleya

Evening Primrose Fremontia Goldenbush Goldenstar Golden Eardrops Golden Yarrow Humboldt Lily Moth Mullein Prickly-pear Cactus

Spanish or Portuguese Broom

Sun Cup Tarweed Tidy-tips Tocalote Tree Tobacco Valley Cholla Wild Mustard

Bedstraw California Buckwheat Castor Bean Chaparral Dodder Clematis Cliff Malacothrix Curly Dock Datura

Horehound Mariposa Lily Matilija Poppy Mayweed Miner’s Lettuce Nightshade Passion Flower Pearly Everlasting

Poison Oak Popcorn Flower Snowberry Wild Cucumber Wild Morning-glory Yarrow Yerba Santa Yucca

About the Authors

Pictured left to right, Gerald Croissant, PhD, Ann Croissant, PhD, and Photographer, Shirley DeBraal.

Plant scientists and writers, husband and wife team, Drs. Gerald

and Ann Croissant have enjoyed the study, teaching, and sharing

of plants in the classroom and field for a combined 60 plus years.

They have spent the majority of their professional lives in the San

Gabriel Valley. Both have won numerous awards for their academic

and teaching careers. Current plant, wildlife, and watershed interests

keep the Croissants busy in a number of conservancies’ projects and

programs throughout the San Gabriel Watershed. They volunteer

thousands of hours to benefit the region, promoting stewardship

and conservation. The Croissants have earned degrees from universi-

ties in Colorado, Idaho, Wisconsin, and California. Gerald taught for

40 years, and is a professor emeritus at California State Polytechnic

University (Cal Poly), Pomona. Ann teaches a variety of courses, and

is a professor emeritus at Azusa Pacific University.

The Croissants founded the San Gabriel Mountains Regional

Conservancy (SGMRC) in 1997, and the Glendora Conservancy in 1991.

Michigan born Shirley DeBraal has spent her adult life near the

San Gabriels. An avid nature lover, hiker, and photographer, her pas-

sion to preserve the foothills and mountains was a motivator in be-

coming a part of the San Gabriel Mountains Regional Conservancy

and photographer for the Wildflowers of the San Gabriels.

She received a BA from Hope College in Michigan, and has taught

in both Michigan and California. As Facilities Coordinator at Citrus

College, she used her photographic skills to promote facilities usage.

An award-winning photographer, her work serves to educate and in-

spire others in becoming more involved in saving our environment.

She used a Nikon D70 digital camera for this book’s photography.