"Bristlecone Forest Wildflowers" Published, Fall 2022

Our new book, Bristlecone Forest Wildflowers, has just been published and is now available for purchase! This new book fills a gaping hole in local wildflower guides, providing information about a little-known treasure trove of botanical gems.

Pinzl’s daisy, Erigeron clokeyi var. pinzliae, with raspberry buckwheat, Eriogonum gracilipes, Patriarch Grove, White Mountains, CA

Bristlecone Forest Wildflowers is a field guide to the perennials, grasses, shrubs, and trees of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest we all love so much. This part of the Inyo National Forest, high in the White Mountains, is the habitat for a diverse array of amazing plants, including, of course, Pinus longaeva. Many species of plants that grow in this high and dry climate aren’t found elsewhere in California. Bristlecone Forest Wildflowers tells the story of the common, showy, and hardy plants that thrive alongside the oldest living trees on earth.

Urbane digger bee, Anthophora urbana, on wax currant, Ribes cereum, Schulman Grove, White Mountains, CA

This pocket guide provides an overview of the geology and history of the high elevations of this mountain range, along with 95 species profiles. The profiles include lore, history, range, and diagnostic photos of each species found along the trails of the Schulman and Patriarch Groves. Bristlecone Forest Wildflowers also covers the common roadside plants between these two groves, from 9800 to 11,000 feet elevation. There are also photos of eight common pollinators. A map with trails, roads, peaks, and amenities is included.

This small 136-page book was written by Cathy Rose, a retired English teacher and long-time botany enthusiast, Karen Ferrell-Ingram, a former native plant propagator, and me. You can read more about the authors here. This team of native plant aficionados also produced Rock Creek Wildflowers, a plant guide to the beautiful Little Lakes Valley above Mosquito Flat, published by CNPS in 2015.

Wildflowers of the Patriarch Grove, 11,000 feet elevation, White Mountains, CA

Find this new book in local bookstores and USFS Visitor Centers, from Lone Pine to Lee Vining. It is available online now at www.ingramphoto.com at CNPS, and on Amazon. We hope you enjoy it.