Horticulture 231- Landscape Plant Materials I

The prerequisite for this course is any introductory plant science course, such as Biology 120 or Horticulture 202.

Horticulture 231 is not a prerequisite for Horticulture 232 . These courses are complimentary, but they do not need to be taken in order.

Students should become familiar with a variety of native and exotic woody and herbaceous landscape plants. They should understand the biological basis for plant responses to various environmental and ecological factors.  They should gain an appreciation for the dynamic nature of plants and the complexities involved in landscape plant selection and use.

• recognize and identify selected landscape plants by common and scientific names,
• describe and document functional and ecological uses of landscape plants,
• select appropriate plants to use under a variety of environmental, economic, and design constraints, and
• understand desirable and undesirable characteristics and how these influence plant selection and use.

Nomenclature, Morphology, Climate zones, Juvenility and maturity, Effects on energy use, Keys, Selection, Fall color, Genetic diversity, Monoculture, Human response to tree form, and Herbariums.

Required:

1. Lohr, Virginia.  2008.  WSU Hort 231 Plant Materials I Identification Cards.  Available from Crimson & Gray or TheBookie, Pullman, WA.
2. Dirr, Michael A.  1998.  Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Stipes Publishing Company, Champaign, Illinois.
3. 2007.  Sunset Western Garden Book.   Sunset Publishing Company, Menlo Park, California.

Optional (for your added enjoyment and knowledge):
 
1. Kruckeberg,  Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest.
2. Still,  Manual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants.

TENTATIVE EVALUATION (subject to change as presented in class):  Your grade will be weighted as shown below, unless you flunk the Lab ID final exam. 

10% - Lab and in-class assignments , activities, and participation (2 lowest in-class scores dropped; total unknown)
15% - Out-of-class assignments (none dropped, and you lose points for not completing ones with class activity included)
25% - Class exams and finals week exam (lowest score of these 3 exams dropped)
20% - Lab ID quizzes (2 lowest scores of these 10 quizzes dropped)
15% - Lab ID midterm exam
15% - Lab ID final exam - you must get above 60% on this exam to pass the course

If you earn 93% or more of the points possible, you will receive a solid A!  You will not be assigned an A-.
If you earn between 83% and 92%, you will receive at least a solid B.
If you earn between 73% and 82%, you will receive at least a solid C.
If you earn between 63% and 72%, you will receive at least a solid D.
If you earn below 63% or if you receive 60% or lower on the Lab ID final exam, you will receive an F.

There will be frequent brief homework assignments, in-class assignments, and quizzes to be completed during class. In-class assignments may NOT be turned in late or made up.  Your two lowest in-class assignment and quiz scores will be dropped.

Required out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of CLASS on the due date. Out-of-class assignments that do not include class activity may be turned in late, but you will lose 1% of the possible points for every day (including weekends) past the original due date, and you will receive no comments or explanations for your grade (last possible date to turn these in is the last lecture. Out-of-class assignments with a class activity component (#2, #4, and #7) must be completed on time or your out-of-class assignment grade will be lowered by 50 points for each one missed.

No make-up exams or quizzes will be given. If you miss any of these, you will receive a zero, unless there are extenuating circumstances AND Dr. Lohr agrees to an alternative arrangement.

Extra credit may be earned by correctly identifying and spelling plant family names for specimens on plant identification exams and quizzes.  Extra credit (5 points per lab) may also be earned if Dr. Lohr is caught making six mistakes during any one lab period.  You must be present during the entire lab to receive this extra credit.  If your grade is lower than you would like it to be, then concentrate on the regular coursework .  The instructors are available to help you.

PARTICIPATION and ATTENDANCE:

You are expected to be a positive, contributing member of the class and to act in a manner that helps you and others learn.. You are expected to come to class prepared and to act in a manner that does not disrupt or prevent learning by others. Students who do not meet these expectations may be expelled from a class or lab period or from the entire course.

Regular attendance and participation are essential to doing well in this course. The material to be learned depends heavily on presentations in both class and laboratory. There are no good substitutes or alternative sources of materials for much of the information covered. You will only receive participation points if the instructors are routinely aware of your presence and positive participation.

For lab, bring your Plant ID Cards each week.  Be prepared to go outside, regardless of weather!   Be prepared to walk rapidly on dry, wet, muddy, or slippery surfaces. Regular attendance and participation includes being prepared for the weather, so that you are able to think and talk about the class topic, and not spend your energies concentrating on how cold or wet or muddy you are.  You are expected to be in lab on your assigned day.  Dr. Lohr must approve any exceptions to this

You are on your honor to participate in this class as your own representative and not to pass the work of others off as your own. Academic dishonesty, in any form,  including copying from other students on quizzes or copying from books or web pages on assignments, is unacceptable. If you are caught cheating, you will receive a zero on the involved quiz, exam, or assignment. If we suspect you are cheating, we may assign a zero or we may choose to give you an opportunity to repeat the activity under conditions of our choosing.  Clear violations will be reported to appropriate authorities.

Cell phone use and smoking are not permitted at any time during class or lab, even when you are in lab walking around campus outdoors looking at plants.  Be sure your phone is turned off.

Reasonable accommodations, approved through the WSU Disability Resource Center (335-3417), are available for students who have a documented different ability. Notify Dr. Lohr promptly if you need accommodations.

Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington 99164-6414 U.S.A.
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Page updated December 18, 2008