Plant Identification and Knowledge (Horticulture II)

PLANT IDENTIFICATION DISTANCE LEARNING ONLINE

"This is the first correspondence course I have done and I have thoroughly enjoyed it and I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU. I appreciate everyone's effort in such a professionally-run organisation with seamless administration. The office staff's happy can-do attitude, their fast responses to all queries, tutor Shane Gould's quick turnaround in assignment marking and his supportive and motivational feedback and last but not least, the sound subject guides. Most importantly I hope my thanks and appreciation can be communicated to all the staff who have supported me long the way of my learning! I work full time and study on the weekend but really don't stop thinking about what gardening solution I need in order to answer my assignments every day of the week. Thank you for such a great learning experience and I cant wait to start the second half of my course!!"
- Skye

The ability to identify plants is perhaps the most important skill any gardener, horticulturist or landscaper can have.

This course gives you a foundation & framework upon which to build this skill.

This course is a natural progression from Horticulture 1, but can be taken as a subject in its own. It concentrates on the identification, care and use of plants in a systematic way. Plant knowledge learnt here is in high demand in the horticulture industry. It is something prioritized by employers, but all too often minimized in modern courses due to financial constraints.

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. The Groups of Plants ‑ setting a framework for the whole subject.
   • Identify plants from a wide range of taxonomic and cultural groups, using a range of different techniques.
2. Use of Plants
   • Plant selection, soils.
3. Australian Native Plants
   • Techniques for the growing of native shrubs and trees, including the selection, culture and use of different species.
4. Exotic Ornamental Plants
   • Techniques for the growing of exotic ornamental shrubs and trees, including the selection, culture and use of different species.
5. Indoor & Tropical Plants
   • Techniques for the growing of indoor plants, including selection, culture and use of different varieties
6. Bedding Plants
   • Techniques for the growing of bedding plants, including selection, culture and use of different varieties.
7. Vegetables
   • Techniques for the growing of edible crop plants, including selection, culture and use of vegetables, fruit, berries and nuts (Part A).
8. Fruits, Nuts & Berries
9. Herbs
10. Alternative Growing Techniques
    • Hydroponics, container growing, terrariums, Appropriate applications for a range of alternative growing methods

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Identify plants from a wide range of taxonomic and cultural groups, using a range of different techniques.
• Determine techniques for the growing of native shrubs and trees, including the selection, culture and use of different species.
• Determine techniques for the growing of exotic ornamental shrubs and trees, including the selection, culture and use of different species.
• Determine techniques for the growing of indoor plants, including selection, culture and use of different varieties.
• Determine techniques for the growing of bedding plants, including selection, culture and use of different varieties.
• Develop techniques for the growing of edible crop plants, including selection, culture and use of vegetables, fruit, berries and nuts.
• Determine appropriate applications for a range of alternative growing methods.

How Accurate are Plant Names?

Plants have two types of names -common names, and scientific names.

Common Names

Any one type of plant can have many different common names -sometimes dozens. Different regions within the same country can be using different common names for the same plant; and sometimes, even different people in the same street might use different common names for the same plant. Because of this -Coimmon Names are very unreliable for identifying plants.

Scientific Names

Scientists largely control the scientific names; and in theory, any one type of plant has only one scientific name; but in practice, there are sometimes conflicting points of view between scientists; and at times, nurserymen and horticultural trades people, are slow to accept changes made to names by scientists.

Nevertheless -scientific names are on the whole, the only effective way of identifying plants.

More about Why Scientific Naming can sometimes appear contradictory

Herbariums (at each of the botanic gardens) have always been influential in the naming of plants.

Problem is that as more people have become interested and involved with plants, large organizations (plant societies, horticultural associations, professional institutes) sometimes don't agree with the herbaria or botanic gardens.

Plant labelling companies sometimes don't print changed names on labels; preferring to continue selling already printed labels with old names.

Botanical and Horticultural Scientists sometimes come into conflict. "When I visited Honalulu Botanic Gardens 10 years or so ago, I met the director who was from Capetown South Africa. We disacovered that the two of us conflicted on a few names. After a bit of discussion it emerged that Honalulu (and his former employer in South Africa) were adhering to directions from the International Horticultural Congress who claimed to be the legitimate descendents (so to speak) of Linneaus. Interestingly though, on returning to Australia, the Botanists in Australia refute that and say their congress has the authority and the horticulturists are usurpers".

You need to be careful to make allowances and promote the taxonomic system as being the best and most accurate method of plant ID, but to point out that it can still occasionally have glitches due to these sorts of issues.

As you can see, there is more to naming plants than what first meets the eye.