Introduction to Wildflower Identification with Gary Kauffman

Introduction to Wildflower Identification with Gary Kauffman $35.00

Saturday, April 18th 2026, 2:00-4:00pm

Meet at the Asheville Botanical Garden Visitor's Center (indoor and outdoor class)

Within the southern Appalachians, there are more than 2,000 species of wildflowers. It can be daunting to develop confidence in wildflower identification! In this class Gary Kauffman will show participants how to use popular picture-based wildflower guides as well as digital resources for identification. You'll learn the basics of plant ID, including the distinguishing identification characteristics of leaves and flowers, as well as features to determine common plant families. Weather permitting, the second half of the class will be outdoors, looking at flowering plants currently blooming in Asheville Botanical Garden and practicing the skills you've just learned.

Gary Kauffman is trained as a botanist and ecologist. In 2025, he retired following a 32-year tenure with the National Forest Service in North Carolina. Part of Gary’s job covered 1.4 million USFS-managed acres from the mountains to the coast. His work included identification of plants, including rare species, and plant communities. Gary currently serves on the boards of Asheville Botanical Garden and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.

COST : $35 for non-members, 25% off for ABG Members

CLASS SIZE : 20

*ABG MEMBERS: to apply your member discount, enter the DISCOUNT CODE: CLASSES25 at the checkout page.*