Botany Classes

Do you have a desire to be closer to nature? Take a botany class and gain a deeper understanding of how plants connect us to the natural world. Botanical studies explore all aspects of plant growth and development, plant communities, and the role of plants in ecosystems. At the everyday level, botany can be your gateway to herbal healing, foraging for wild edibles, cross-cultural understanding, or just a deeper appreciation of nature's seasonal beauty.

Click here for an overview of the Certificate Program.


June

Learn to identify native and introduced herbs, ferns, shrubs, and trees as they appear in summer, and get to know plants that may be found in fields, on roadsides, and in woodlands and wetlands. Learn about basic plant structure and more...
234BOT334BL 06/08 Th 6:00pm-8:00pm Holmes
BLENDED

July

Discover how trees communicate via chemical signals in the air (to warn of insect attacks) and transfer nutrients to one another through complex underground fungal networks (sometimes to assist sick trees).
241BOT385O 07/12 We 6:00pm-8:00pm Kutos
ONLINE

This is the class for plant-lovers eager to up their game! Learn the terminology and basic botanical nomenclature that will help you recognize and describe key differences in common plants.
241BOT308BO 07/31 Mo 5:30pm-7:30pm Holmes
ONLINE

August

Explore these two beautiful and intriguing groups of herbaceous plants. NYBG's Director of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium Dr. Emily Sessa will take you through the basic aspects of ferns and lycophytes. Gain an understanding of their form and more...
241BOT360 08/10 Th 10:00am-1:00pm Sessa
NYBG

Historical bartenders and modern mixologists have long used a great variety of herbal and botanical ingredients to add flavor, body, and visual flair to drinks. Go beyond the garnish to explore the world of oleo-saccharums, infusions, simple syrups, and tinctures more...
241CKG240 08/16 We 5:00pm-7:00pm Freeman
NYBG

Chanterelles, Milk Caps, Black Trumpets, Boletes of all kinds, and many other choice edibles make their appearance in the steamy summer months. Learn how to sort through this abundance with hands-on techniques and observations.
241BOT356 08/17 Th 10:00am-1:00pm Sadowski
NYBG

September

In NYC, fall is the best time to hunt for edible fungi. Paul Sadowski, 25-year veteran of the NY Mycological Society, will lead a mushroom hunt, and show you how to identify many species and their look-alikes, where to find more...
241BOT368 09/13 We 10:00am-1:00pm Sadowski
NYBG

Discover the power, the allure, and the science of psychedelic mushrooms, in particular the genus Psilocybe. Food journalist and former president of the New York Mycological Society, Eugenia Bone, author of Mycophilia, will discuss the biology of these potent fungi, more...
241BOT302BO 09/14 Th 6:00pm-8:00pm Bone
ONLINE

In autumn our native Northeast flora can be spectacular, but difficult to identify. With a 10X power hand lens and a plant key, you'll learn to identify these wildflowers, shrubs, and trees on the Garden grounds.
241BOT331A 09/14 Th 10:00am-1:00pm Slowik
NYBG
241BOT331B 09/16 Sa 10:00am-1:00pm Slowik
NYBG

Get a solid grounding in the basic plant body-from the cell to the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit. We'll use dissecting and compound light microscopes to observe plant anatomy, then introduce the base-level chemistry required to understand the world more...
241BOT315BO 09/20 We 6:00pm-9:00pm Kutos
ONLINE

Learn to identify the native and naturalized trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the Northeast by their vegetative characteristics using their scientific and common names. You'll also hone your ability to use taxonomic keys and field guides.
241BOT375ABL 09/27 We 6:00pm-8:00pm Kaechele
BLENDED