Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Interior plant identification skills are basic for many professionals including therapeutic horticulture professionals, activity directors, life enrichment coordinators, and the horticulture/landscape industry.  Designers of healthful, supportive living environments benefit from interior plant knowledge.  The general public is encouraged to learn and apply the benefits of houseplants for healthy living. The focus will be on interior plants used in residential, commercial, and therapeutic applications. Knowledge of care and culture of plant material is necessary for workers in retail nursery centers, retail and wholesale greenhouses, interior plantscaping companies, and in therapeutic horticulture associated with a range of care facilities serving all ages.  Houseplant care is an important part of the recreational/hobby activity for people of all ages. 

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Identify common interior plants and apply cultural knowledge in the care of interior plants in residential, therapeutic interior settings or commercial business.
2. Manage common pests and diseases of interior plants using safe and environmentally responsible methods.
3. Understand common techniques used in propagation for the production of replacement plants.

1. Therapeutic programming with interior plants
2. Community project with interior plants
3. Check list creation for successful implementation of therapeutic interior plant program
4. Cost benefit analysis 

Lecture time will focus on delivering the botanical information needed to make accurate identification decisions and general requirements for growing healthy, useful plants. Lab time will be spent in the greenhouse/plant areas directly observing plant characteristics for identification, pests and diseases, and propagation methods used in the production of plants. The plant notebook will require additional time outside of the classroom for obtaining more plant information, graphically documenting plant characteristics, and assembling the information in a useable format. 

1. Participate in and contribute to all class discussions and activities.
2. Take scheduled identification quizzes and exams.
3. Assemble plant information in the plant notebook and build plant lists according to useful categories.

Identification of 90-110 interior plants
Plant Information
Botanical, Common and Family Names
Plant Type
Form
Growth Rate
Physical Characteristics
Light, Soil, and Water Requirements
Diseases and Pests
Propagation
Interior Use