Includes index

"In addition to serving as structural anchors, 20 featured plants will function as portals into Gurba's life, summoning memory, magic, nightmare, myth, indigenous knowledge, cultural critique, social commentary, pedagogical philosophy, and history. Each vignette will focus on one of California's native plants, including: California live oak, thistle, golden poppy, grape, California flannelbush, Monterrey cypress, and Monterrey pine. A few non-natives, such as boysenberry, orange, and water hyacinth, might also appear. The book will explore the relationship with Gurba's father-who she calls a former "Chippie" (Chicano hippie) turned anxious workaholic, and who introduced Gurba to native plants as a child via their California xeriscape garden-and how her deeply ingrained knowledge of plants has grounded her in every aspect of her life"-- Provided by publisher