LAR 523 (HS 495) Plants in the Landscape

This 5-week summer course introduces students to the vocabulary and methods necessary to identify ornamental plants in the built landscape.

The course is structured around the understanding of the taxonomic tools necessary to identify plants. The plant’s vegetative and reproductive characteristics are used as an easy means of identification.  Emphasis will be placed on the understanding of characteristics essential for making decisions about how the plants are used as design elements in the landscape such as hedges, buffers, street trees, riparian buffers, and other practical and ornamental uses. Students record the plants learned in their personal sortable plant spreadsheet which includes plant characteristics for use in their planting design process.