Plant Identification and Usage: Native Plants
- Skill Level
- Beginner Intermediate
- Length Content Access
- 365
- Sections
- 4
- Length
- 3 hours
- Language
- English
- Note
- This course offers a certificate of completion.
Native plants have evolved naturally in a region over many years, rather than being introduced from another area. This self-paced course provides an introduction to native plants for landscape professionals, horticulturists, and home gardeners. It features common native plants in Pennsylvania and surrounding regions. Many plants discussed in this course are native throughout the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, while others have a narrower distribution range that includes parts or all of Pennsylvania.
Educational videos, images, short readings, and knowledge check questions teach you about key identification features of native plants. Learn how native plants benefit the environment and why they are a valuable choice for a beautiful, managed landscape. Understand the four layers of the native landscape (canopy, understory, shrub layer, and herbaceous layer), and become familiar with many of the native plants available in each layer. Learn how to select native plants, design your landscape, and maintain it.
There are four sections in this course, and each has a quiz at the end. You will need to achieve a score greater than 80% on each quiz to pass this course and receive a certificate of completion.
There is also an optional section in which you can learn how plants are classified and how they are named scientifically and in trade. You'll learn about the physical form and structure features of foliage, stems, and flowers and fruit that are used for plant identification. This section does not have a quiz.
This course qualifies for 3 Pennsylvania Certified Horticulturist (PCH) continuing education units (CEUs). To obtain this credit, complete the course and earn a certificate of completion. Then submit your certificate of completion when you submit your CEUs to the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association.
This course was supported by the generous contributions of the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association.
- Green industry professionals, including landscape contractors, landscape maintenance professionals, and horticulturists
- People seeking employment in landscape design, installation, and maintenance
- Landscape businesses who want to provide additional training to experienced employees
- Master gardeners and home gardeners who want to learn more about native plants
You will learn how to:
- identify plants native to Pennsylvania and surrounding regions
- understand the cultural requirements of native plants
- understand the botanical names of native plants
- understand the selection and usage of native plants
- describe basic pruning requirements and timing
- describe how maintenance of native plants can be easier than for non-native plants
- understand how native plants have relationships with the wide network of living things in the ecosystem
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