Introduction to Plant Identification

All sessions are on a Wednesday; they run from 10am – 4pm with a one hour break for lunch.

The confirmed dates for 2025 are:

• Class 1 - Wednesday 19 March 2025 (change from provisional date)
• Class 2 - Wednesday 26 March 2025
• Class 3 - Wednesday 16 April 2025 (change from provisional date)
• Class 4 - Wednesday 30 April 2025
• Class 5 - Wednesday 7 May 2025
• Class 6 - Wednesday 21 May 2025
• Class 7 - Wednesday 28 May 2025
• Class 8 - Wednesday 11 June 2025
• Class 9 - Wednesday 25 June 2025

Further information on Botanic Garden courses

Cost - £65 per class

Participants will gain the greatest skill and understanding in linking species with genera and families by attending the entire course. However, classes can be taken in any number and any combination. Discounts are available to anyone who books the whole course (£500), or to members of the Friends of the Garden or LRWT for individual classes (£60 per class). 

How to get to the Botanic Garden

All classes unless specified otherwise will take place in Beaumont House at the University of Leicester Botanic Garden. This is accessed by taking the third driveway on your left off Stoughton Drive South after leaving the A6/London Road. Note that this is NOT the public entrance but is a staff entrance and the best one for you. The post code is LE2 2NA. Park in the car park and follow the signs to the classrooms.

Course Description

Classes take place in both the laboratory and the field, and involve hands-on experience with living plants. Microscopes are provided for lab sessions, but emphasis is on field identification. Discussion is encouraged throughout in order to help consolidate understanding of key concepts and terminology. As well as whole-class teaching, you will receive individual instruction and help.

The course begins with an overview of plants and the evolutionary relationships of the major groups. After this, the focus is on common species which are used to teach how to use the different types of identification key and to illustrate the diagnostic features of selected families, chosen to account for more than 85% of our native flora. The topic material is set in an evolutionary and ecological context, in order to help you develop an understanding of species relationships and habitat preferences.

The range of material covered and the sites we visit on our field excursions provide you with all-important personal experience and practice.

There are no pre-requisites, come as you are!

 

Our aim is for you to:

• be familiar with the 40 plant families which together account for c. 85% of the native species in our flora
• identify important genera by sight and by the use of keys
• identify at least 300 species by sight or key
• prepare botanical specimens and make botanical records
• know many of the plant species typical of a given habitat.