Monterey County has an extraordinary range of wildflowers, over 2300 different species in over 140 families. The county is geographically and geologically very diverse, ranging from the coastal areas of Monterey Bay, the Monterey Peninsula and Big Sur to the Inner Coast Ranges (the Gabilan and part of the Diablo Ranges) east of the Salinas Valley and the Outer Coast Ranges comprising the Sierra de Salinas (to the north and east of Carmel Valley Road) and the Santa Lucia Mountains lying south of the Carmel Valley Road between the Salinas Valley and the coast. This site is a guide to wildflowers, shrubs and trees found in these very different habitats, some found across the county, some found only in very restricted areas. I hope that the site may inspire you to explore unfamiliar parts of the county and to discover and appreciate the beauty that is to be found everywhere, in both likely and sometimes unlikely places. Enjoy!