Looking For a
Texas Nature Book?
Guides to Natural Texas

Folks come to the Texas Hill Country for lots of reasons, but the "mostly natural" environment always seems to be at - or at least near - the top of the list. This includes visitors (tourists and such), transplants, and natives.

Unless you grew up in the hill country and had a great "nature mentor," you may need some assistance in identifying all your fantastic discoveries.

When you take a walk - a wonderful way to pass the time AND get some good exercise to boot - you may wonder "What is that little purple wildflower? I didn't see it last year."

Or "I think that's a hawk. Or is it a buzzard?"

We have lots of snakes and bugs and other crawly things here in Central Texas; most aren't poisonous, but can you tell the difference?

Trees, shrubs, vines, cactus, even medicinal herbs grow wild here if they're allowed to do their thing.

Here are some Texas Hill Country nature books that come highly recommended. And these guides will at least start you in getting to know Mother Nature in Blanco, Texas.

Texas Nature Books: Hill Country Plants

Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide: Revised Edition (Texas Natural History Guides) - Campbell Loughmiller, Lynn Loughmiller, and Damon Waitt

For two decades and counting, Texans have relied on this book to identify the common and rare flowers we see along the roadsides and in the pastures, fields, and forests of our state.



Wildflowers of Texas - Geyata Ajilvsgi

This is a great reference manual that shows actual pictures of the plants with a full description and even some interesting facts about the plant itself.



Lone Star Field Guide to Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of Texas, Revised Edition (Lone Star Field Guides)- Delena Tull

This book describes more than 600 species of the most common Texas wildflowers, tress, shrubs, and cacti in a well-illustrated and easy to use format.



Field Guide to the Broad-Leaved Herbaceous Plants of South Texas: Used by Livestock and Wildlife - James H. Everitt, Dale Lynn Drawe, and Robert I. Lonard

This well-organized book fills a large gap in reference material about Texas vegetation; placement of photos and construction of keys make this an excellent introductory text for students of botany.



Cacti of the Trans-Pecos & Adjacent Areas - A. Michael Powell and James F. Weedin

The descriptions follow the latest findings of cactus researchers worldwide and include scientific names, common names, identifying characters based on vegetative habit, flowers, fruit, and seeds, and identification of flowerless specimens.



Texas Trees: A Friendly Guide - Patty Leslie and Paul W. Cox

Look through the book and find which trees will do best in your area, their size and flowers, virtually everything the homeowner, naturalist, or budding naturalist needs or wants to know.



Texas Trees - Howard Garrett

The beginning gardener (or someone who is new to Texas) would do well to follow Howard's advice; it provides an excellent starting point.



Trees of Central Texas - Robert A. Vines

From the hardy oaks and rugged mesquites to the graceful willows, cottonwoods, and pecans, the tree life of Central Texas varies as much as the vast and changing land that hosts it.

Texas Nature Books: Central Texas Wildlife

Hummingbirds of Texas: With Their New Mexico And Arizona Ranges (Tam Nature Guides) - Clifford E. Shackelford

Stunning photographs, color drawings, and explanatory tables add to the clearly written text. You can enjoy the book by merely flipping the pages or giving it a close read, but in either case you will gain pleasure and knowledge in equal measure.



Birds of the Texas Hill Country (Corrie Herring Hooks Series) - Mark W. Lockwood, Terry Maxwell, and Clemente, III Guzman

Situated in the center of a state renowned for its abundant and varied birdlife, the Texas Hill Country provides habitat for 420 resident and migratory species, including the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo. Mark Lockwood, a biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife, has monitored these and other bird populations throughout the Hill Country for many years. In this book, he offers a complete, up-to-date guide to the status and distribution of every bird species reliably reported on the Edwards Plateau.



Great Texas Birds - John P. O'Neill and Suzanne Winckler

This book is beautifully illustrated, designed and written. It is a perfect book for anyone who likes birds and an equally perfect book for those who love beautiful things.



The Birds of Texas - John L. Tveten

The remarkable thing about this book is the beautiful close-up colour pictures of almost every species. Not all the pictures are flawless--anyone who's ever photographed birds knows how hard it is to get a good, detailed, well-lit close-up shot--but they are very high quality and make this both a gorgeous coffee table book and a valuable identification aid.



Texas Wildlife PortfolioWildflowers of Texas - KAC Productions

Full of beautiful and candid photos of Texas wildlife; both exotic and commonplace. A great book for lovers of animals or photography or both!



Texas Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press) - James Kavanagh

Whether you're on a nature hike or taking a stroll in your neighborhood, you'll want to take along a copy of this indispensable guide.



Texas Wildlife Viewing Guide - Gary L. Graham

This guide was created through the National Watchable Wildlife Program, a unique partnership initiative coordinated by Defenders of Wildlife.

Texas Nature Books: "Creepy Crawlies"

Texas Bug Book: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Revised Edition - Howard Garrett, C. Malcolm Beck, and Gwen E. Gage

Overall this book is probably the best of its kind. Given the excellent photography and affordability, it is definitely worth the purchase. I've got an autographed copy; I use it a lot.



Lone Star Field Guide to Texas Snakes, Third Edition (Lone Star Guides) - Alan Tennant

This guide describes, in detail, each and every snake of Texas, from the benign Texas long-nosed snake, to the venomous Western Cottonmouth.



Texas Snakes: Identification, Distribution, and Natural History - John E. Werler

Well-written species accounts describe each snake's appearance, lookalikes, size, habitat, behavior, feeding, and reproduction. The authors also include color photos and finely detailed line drawings to aid field identification, along with accurate range maps, a checklist of Texas snakes, a key to the species, and a brief discussion of classification and taxonomy. The authors round out this volume with essays on snake myths and misinformation, snakebite and its prevention, conservation, Texas biotic provinces, and a brief history of Texas herpetology.



Texas Bats - Merlin D. Tuttle

Texas has thirty-two bat species, more than any other state. Bats rank among the state's most beneficial and fascinating allies. The majority eat insects, with just one colony consuming billions in a single night. Others are essential pollinators of desert plants. No other group of Texas mammals is more diverse or important to the balance of nature. This guide, produced by Bat Conservation International and the Texas Parks and Wildlife department, includes descriptions of Texas's bats, photographs, and range maps.

Texas Nature Books: Night Skies

Texas StarWatch: The Essential Guide to Our Night Sky - Mike Lynch

Whether watching the sky from a backyard lawn chair or manning a high-powered telescope, Texan stargazers of all levels will learn how and when to identify the major constellations at their latitude. With chapters on the origins and movements of stars, the mythology of constellations, the phases of the moon, the planets, and even buying a telescope, this book also serves as an accessible and in-depth beginner’s guide to the night sky.



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