Have you ever wondered: Why does a milkweed plant produce so many individual flowers but just a handful of seed pods? Why do sunflowers produce lots of seeds from one flowerhead while horse chestnuts produce few? Why do some trees have furrowed bark, while others have smooth or even peeling bark? Why are some plants poisonous?

If these are questions that you have asked yourself, we will try to find answers in this course. In particular, we will look at key events in the life of a plant like pollination, fruit set, seed dispersal, seed germination and wounding. We will learn about the different but still optimized responses to a complex environment that plants have developed in the course of evolution to survive as a species, and how humans have used some of these responses for their own applications, like self-cleaning surfaces and medicines.

Each session will consist of a PowerPoint presentation, looking at plant structures, and class discussions like what would the “optimal” plant look like. No previous plant knowledge is required, just an openness to let yourself be surprised and intrigued by the natural world around you. An optional presentation on the spring flowers of Dale’s Ridge and a walk to see some of them will be offered.