This is an upper-division environmental horticulture course designed to encourage students to have an interest, understanding, and appreciation of Florida’s native flora. Weekly lectures will cover plant nomenclature, effective utilization, and design elements of native plants that are commercially available for landscape use. Web-based topical lectures will be provided from experts who have a range of knowledge in the field. Weekly lab exercises will cover some of best native plants for our area, propagation of native plants, and incorporation of native plants into gardens and landscapes.
Class Meeting Time and Location:
Wednesdays (2:00 pm-6:00 pm) Greenhouse complex, PSF5
*Students will be required to attend the scheduled field trips.
*The class may meet at alternate locations as needed such as Mehrhof Gardens, the UF Tree Unit, and the UF Herbarium.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Identify 50+ species that are native to Florida and used in landscapes
- Examine the aesthetic and functional value of native plants and how they can be better incorporated into landscapes
- Characterize underutilized natives using learned taxonomic descriptions, species distinctions among shared genera, herbarium sampling, and photography
- Associate original plant ecosystems with selection, use, establishment and maintenance of natives in modified landscapes
- Determine propagation and production practices for natives
- Distinguish between native and non-native cultivars
