El Dorado County offers Lots to Enjoy!
Indeed. The Eldorado National Forest recognizes more than 1200 species of plants. And because El Dorado County offers over 10,000 feet in elevation change, we get a really long season: March through September. We have several interesting soil types, from serpentine outcrops to the splendid mix of volcanic and granitic soils of the Crystal Range, the Desolation Wilderness, and of course the Sierra Nevada. We have riparian areas, chaparral, the Eldorado National Forest and Grass Lake, and the largest sphagnum bog in California. We have several excellent mountain passes nearby (see Google maps: Echo Summit, Carson, Monitor, Ebbetts, and Sonora) which each offer their own particular environments. In short, we have a wealth of habitats we can explore on any weekend we choose. And there almost certainly are still some local plants which have not yet been identified! That's intriguing.
Just for fun, let's look at the name of California's best known mountain range: the Sierra Nevada. The Spanish word sierra has several meanings. In a general way, the word means a saw used to cut, as in sierra de mano, handsaw, or sierra circular, buzz saw. In a geologic sense, sierra means simply a "jagged mountain range"; nevada is a Spanish adjective formed from the word nieve, snow. The name Sierra Nevada simply means "snowy jagged mountain range." In other words, the name Sierra Nevada should only be used in the singular for this California feature. Check this map of physiographic regions of California.
Tip: There are two kinds of links used: yellow-highlighted tidbits are pop-up comments for quick reading when you roll the cursor over them; links to off-site pages are standard blue.
Disclaimer No. 1:
While I am not a trained botanist, I do consider myself an amateur scientist; the word "amateur" comes from Latin, amar, to love, and "science" is from a Latin root which means to know, to learn; an amateur scientist simply loves to learn. We should all be scientists at some level.
Disclaimer No. 2:
This site is mostly concerned the plants of El Dorado County, California, but it also includes information from around northern California in general (e.g., Habitats). If you are outside this area, I am hoping that much of the information will still be of interest.
About Floralore.com
The main sections are:
Flora: This is where it all begins: information about seasonal flora, flower shapes, families, and those curious names. Even if you don't think you want to get too deep into how flowers work, you will still enjoy some snips of curious information.
Fauna: Here are some observations of local interest, ranging from when to see the Kokanee salmon at Lake Tahoe to comments about birds I have seen right outside my office. Not the most active section, but I add what I can when I can. And if you are a local birder, or butterfly buff, or have an active interest in critters, I could sure use your help. If you would drop me a note I would be glad to hear from you.
Habitats: Every different environment hosts a variety of plants evolved to handle some specific list of conditions. Take a virtual look at some of the places we go for flowers around El Dorado and Alpine counties. Popular local pages cover Pine Hill, Traverse Creek, Bassi Falls, Wrights Lake, and Carson Pass.
Tools: A book and a hand lens will take you far, but eventually you might want a microscope, a digital camera, maybe a GPS unit. I've been using these tools for several years and can offer some comments on what I've found useful.
Books: Everyone starts out with some general guide book (usually much too general), but eventually you'll find that no one book (except perhaps the Jepson Manual) is going to list all the known plants of any particular area. Here are the books you want.
Gallery: A modest collection of some images created as I wander. Only this year will I be able to finally start adding to this little collection, but take a look now and watch it grow.
Please E-mail me (Steve@Floralore.com) with any comments,
PS: A word about Calflora...
Most of the botanical name links will take you to a site called Calflora.org; it is an excellent source for plant photos, range maps, and information about California native (and many non-native) plants. Calflora is typically a subscription service but for 2007 a benefactor's donation is making it possible to register as an individual user for free! As you get more interested in native plants Calflora will prove to be a valuable resource. I personally hope that you will find that the site is deserving of a small donation.
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