Botany Certificate Requirements

The NYBG Botany Certificate Program is designed to deepen a student's scientific understanding of the plant kingdom. Students engage in subjects such as native flora, ethnobotany, ecology, and botanical nomenclature. Courses reflect the Garden's strengths in botanical science research, as well as its world-famous and unequalled resources—the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, housing some 7.4 million dried plant specimens, and the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, with its collection of more than one million cataloged items and 11 million archival documents.

During the course of the program, students will come to know plants: how they function, grow, develop, and reproduce; and learn to identify a wide array of plants by stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits.

Those in pursuit of a Certificate must complete 169 total course hours (111 required + 58 elective). Browse this page to discover what required courses are currently scheduled.


March

We will cover the role of plant hormones in growth and development, as well as plant movement, water transport through the plant body, and plant metabolism, including photosynthesis and respiration (anaerobic and aerobic).
263BOT316 03/17 Tu 4:00pm-7:00pm Alvarez
NYBG

April

Witness the diversity of plants in the northeast as they flower and set seed in rapid succession. Follow the bloom sequence of spring wildflowers, shrubs and trees during this much anticipated season of rebirth. Learn to identify native plants using more...
264BOT333 04/11 Sa 11:00am-2:00pm Slowik
NYBG

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.
264BOT375BL 04/21 Tu 6:00pm-8:00pm Grumm
BLENDED

May

Herbaceous plants occupy prairies, wetlands, forest understories, and many other habitats. The identifying characteristics of this diverse group of plants are often quite different from those of woody plants. You'll learn the fundamental herbaceous plant identification characteristics, as well as more...
264BOT376 05/04 Mo 5:00pm-8:00pm Holmes
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...
264BOT315AO 05/06 We 6:00pm-9:00pm Kutos
ONLINE

We will cover the role of plant hormones in growth and development, as well as plant movement, water transport through the plant body, and plant metabolism, including photosynthesis and respiration (anaerobic and aerobic).
264BOT316 05/07 Th 4:00pm-7:00pm Alvarez
NYBG

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...
264BOT334BL 06/02 Tu 6:00pm-8:00pm Holmes
BLENDED

September

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...
271BOT315BO 09/03 Th 6:00pm-8:00pm Schondorf-Seghrouchni
ONLINE

Explore the myriad structures and diverse life cycles of plants, algae, fungi, and bacteria. Discover how and why scientists have divided and classified these organisms.
271BOT317O 09/17 Th 6:00pm-9:00pm Alvarez
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.
271BOT331 09/17 Th 10:00am-1:00pm Slowik
NYBG