Introduction to Native Flora of Maine

Wednesday-Friday, August 16-18, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

The first step to gardening with Maine’s native plants is meeting them in their wild habitats. Over this three-day in-person class, Melissa Cullina, the Gardens’ Director of Plant Science & Collections, will help students recognize 50 or more frequent coastal species. She will cover basic plant identification skills, terminology, and botanical etymology. Guided walks, both at the Gardens and a Boothbay Region Land Trust property, will help students practice skills and collect samples for identification and botanizing native species. Students should come with a packed lunch, water, and hand lens, if available, for days two and three of class.

Suggested reference: The Plants of Acadia National Park, by Glen Mittelhauser, Gregory, Rooney, and Weber,

Melissa Cullina is the Director of Plant Science & Collections for Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Formerly a botanist with the Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Cullina specializes in aquatic and coastal botany, field identification and rare species conservation.