California Trees builds on Jepson’s 1909 classic Trees of California, expanding from 92 to 95 species using modern tools, photography, and community science. With clear criteria for what defines a tree, this new guide honors Jepson’s legacy while inviting readers to connect deeply with California’s diverse and evolving forest landscapes.
Mapping the Hidden Forest
Camille “Cami” Pawlak transforms our understanding of California’s tree diversity through innovative heat maps and range mapping, highlighting 95 native species. Her work reveals the richness of endemic trees in places like Robert Louis Stevenson State Park and supports urban planning for climate resilience, ensuring ecological alignment in tree selection.
Sip the Forest: A Guide to Pacific Northwest Conifer Teas
Embark on a flavorful journey through the lush forests of the Pacific Northwest, where the evergreen trees are not only charismatic megaflora, but also ingredients for a unique tea experience.
Mount Tamalpais
“Plants of Mount Tamalpais: Including Muir Woods” is a new book from Backcountry Press that explores the unique plant biodiversity of Mount Tamalpais in the San Francisco Bay Area. Authored by Robert Steers, who has studied the region’s flora for over a decade, the book highlights the area’s remarkable plant diversity, with emphasis on its rare and endemic species.
California’s Deserts
Desert environments have always held a fascination for many, their stark landscapes notwithstanding. At first glance these seemingly-lifeless landscapes are actually home to hardy woody shrubs and succulents with amazing adaptations to survive in harsh desert conditions. In California’s deserts, all this changes when the onset of winter rains bring carpets of brightly colored annuals […]
Plant Life in California’s Deserts
For the past 15 years, Philip Rundel, has been developing this book through his long-term relationship and travels in deserts of the Southwestern United States, northern Chile, and Southern Africa. His vision is now a reality. California Desert Plants: Ecology and Diversity is a new book written by Philip Rundel, Robert Gustafson, and Michael Kauffmann […]
Wildflowers of California’s Klamath Mountains
AVAILABLE NOW! Including the Marble Mountain, Russian, and Trinity Alps Wilderness areas Wildflowers of California’s Klamath Mountains features flowering plants found within one of the most biodiverse temperate mountain ranges on Earth. This photographic collection is representative of the most common, beautiful, and unique plants across this amazing region.• 629 species, subspecies, and varieties of wildflowers• […]
The Books That Built Backcountry Press
In 2012, after nine years of writing Conifer Country, the book had evolved into my Master’s Thesis at Humboldt State. Based on all the time and energy we had put into this book, my wife Allison and I decided to take the leap and start our own small business. We had options with other publishers […]
