Spring King Bolete

Fungi > Boletes

The Spring King Bolete (Boletus rex-veris), crowned in Latin as the ‘King of Spring,’ is a legendary, massive wild porcini that breaks all the rules of typical autumn mushroom fruiting. Native to the majestic conifer forests of the Cascade and Sierra...

Golden Chinquapin

Plants > Trees

The Golden Chinquapin (Chrysolepis chrysophylla), also celebrated as the Giant Chinquapin, is an exquisite, glowing evergreen member of the beech family (Fagaceae) native to the Pacific coastal forests of North America. Renowned for the breathtaking golden sheen of...

Canyon Live Oak

Plants > Trees

The Canyon Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis), also revered historically as the Maul Oak or Golden Cup Oak, is an exceptionally rugged, majestic evergreen oak native to the dramatic rocky canyons and granite slopes of California and the Southwest. Anchoring deeply into...

Lorquin’s Admiral

Invertebrates > Butterflies

Lorquin’s Admiral (Limenitis lorquini) is a dashing, pugnacious brush-footed butterfly named in honor of 19th-century French California naturalist Pierre Joseph Michel Lorquin. Instantly distinguished by its velvety chocolate-black wings slashed with a bold...

Western Tiger Swallowtail

Invertebrates > Butterflies

The Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) is one of the most magnificent, familiar, and breathtaking butterflies in western North America. Gliding with effortless grandeur down sunny mountain river canyons and suburban parks, its colossal wings of bright...