Introduction to Wildflowers

Join botanist and ecologist Ros Bennett for an Introduction to Wildflowers, a practical and friendly day designed for beginners and improvers who want to understand floral structure and start identifying flowering plants with confidence. The course covers floral terminology, flower families and the key features used to classify plants, with an emphasis on simple flowers to build familiarity and confidence.

We begin in the classroom examining specimens and learning to use a hand lens (magnification x 10) to observe the intricate details of flowers. You will learn which features are most important for identification and how these features group plants into families. Weather permitting, we will spend time working outside in Tyland Barn Nature Park where you can practise describing essential characteristics under supervision, either working together or in pairs.

The day also explains the value of scientific keys and gives practical experience using them so you can continue identifying flowers on your own. By the end of the course you should have a better grasp of botanical terms, a clearer sense of flowering plant classification and the confidence to start using keys to identify species. If you enjoy this introduction, there is a follow on Wildflower Identification for Improvers Study Day on 4 July 2025 to develop your skills further.