Want to learn more about the plants you cross paths with?

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has launched an online Texas Triple-P: Plant Phenology Project plant identification course focused on providing foundational skills needed to identify Texas plants and understand their ecological roles and life cycles.

An upright prairie coneflower with bright yellow petals dropping downward.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has launched an online Texas Triple-P: Plant Phenology Project. This plant identification course provides foundational skills for identifying Texas plants and understanding their ecological roles and life cycles. (Texas A&M AgriLife)

Registration for the self-paced course is required at https://tx.ag/TriplePCourse. The cost is $25. The course offers teachers 1.5 continuing education credits from the Texas Education Agency.

“Texas Triple P’s mission is to cultivate a thriving community of Texans with a passion for plants and the environment,” said Stacy Hines, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension rangeland habitat management specialist and assistant professor in the Texas A&M Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Corpus Christi.

About the course

The course will focus on the life cycle of plants, known as phenology, and introduce the process of plant identification, including taxonomy and anatomy. Species covered will include 13 plants on the Texas 4-H Master Plant List for the Texas Range and Pasture Grass Contest, which are in the family Asteraceae. Examples include the Engelmann daisy, Maximilian sunflower and upright prairie coneflower.

Hines said participants can expect the course to take roughly 1.5 hours to complete, and a score of 100% on all module quizzes is required for a final certificate of completion.

“This course is suited for a wide range of audiences, including teachers, landscape architects or anyone with an interest in improving their plant identification skills,” Hines said.

Following course completion, participants should be able to:

  • Understand a plant’s seasonal life cycle.
  • Understand the ecological value of plants to wildlife and livestock.
  • Identify 13 plants included in the Texas 4-H Master Plant List for the Texas Range and Pasture Grass Contest.
  • Distinguish plants of concern from common lookalikes using defining characteristics.

For more information on the course, contact Hines at [email protected]

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