1. to serve as a repository for information on California wild plants in electronic formats from diverse sources, including public agencies, academic institutions, private organizations, and individuals.
2. to provide this information in readily usable, electronic formats for scientific, conservation, and educational purposes.
3. to serve public information needs related to scientific study, land management, environmental analysis, education, and appreciation of California plant life.
4. to coordinate and integrate efforts towards these objectives undertaken by scientists, public agencies, private organizations, and members of the public.

Calflora was conceived as a collaborative research project to collect and re-distribute information about California's wild plants, including habitat descriptions, photographs, observations, nomenclature, and distribution maps.  The database provides:

• comprehensive habitat and distribution information for wild plants -- over 10,000 native and introduced species
• 800,000 plant location observations
• information on over 30,000 relationships between old and new plant names, according to several authorities
• access to hundreds of thousands of photographs of California plants in the CalPhotos database (provided in collaboration with Biodiversity Sciences Technology at UC Berkeley)
• online tools that help users find, display, and download the information they need

Calflora serves a large and increasing number of users, including researchers, scientists, students, environmental consultants, landscapers, and amateur enthusiasts.

Calflora offers resources for an informed, timely approach to biodiversity protection. Through Calflora, scientists, citizens, and policymakers have quick and easy access to data they need for analyzing species distributions, modeling spread of invasive species, or identifying consequences of habitat loss.  Furthermore, Calflora provides a mechanism for citizens to participate directly in building the information resources they need, and gives all users an opportunity to learn about the beauty and diversity of California plant life.

Calflora relies on contributors for the information it provides. As you use the site, please remember the thousands of individuals and institutions whose work is reflected here.