Plants & Animals Among California’s Oaks

By Kate Marianchild

Beautiful illustrations by Ann Meyer Maglinte

“A beautiful masterpiece of fine writing alongside skillful, deep research…. A classic of California natural history writing.” - David Lukas, author of Bay Area Birds

Favorite quote: “Thirteen thousand insect species have mastered an unlikely art: persuading plants to produce nurseries for their young. Especially striking examples of these nurseries can be seen on valley oaks: spherical or bulbous growths sometimes as big as baked potatoes. Glossy green in early spring and drying to a cream, tan, or blackish brown color over the summer, these plant galls (“oak apples”) can occur alone or in clusters. Sometimes a tree is bedecked with hundreds of them. Other galls come in an astonishing array of colors and outlandish shapes, including some that resemble small candies or miniature versions of tide-pool creatures. Some species are as tiny as pinheads and most are no bigger than marbles. Despite their delectable colors and shapes, galls do not make good eating, but searching for them can be an exciting treasure hunt, partly because it is still possible to find new species.”

Dimensions: 6 x 8 in

Softcover