Environmental Horticulture & Urban Forestry, Bachelor of Science College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences

As of Fall 2022, the Environmental Horticulture & Urban Forestry major is no longer accepting new students. It has been absorbed into the Plant Sciences major as an area of specialization.

The Major Program

Students majoring in Environmental Horticulture & Urban Forestry learn how plants improve the environment and the quality of our lives. The major focuses on the biological and physical concepts and horticultural principles of plant production, management of plants and plant ecosystems in landscape settings and sociological aspects of plant/people interactions in the urban environment. Plants are used to revegetate and restore disturbed  landscapes, control erosion and reduce energy and water consumption. The ornamental use of plants to improve the aesthetic quality of urban and rural landscapes, recreational areas, interiorscapes and commercial sites is an important aspect of this major. Students may select one or more of the following three areas of specialization: Floriculture/Nursery, Plant Biodiversity/Restoration, or Urban Landscape Management.

Internships & Career Opportunities

Students are encouraged to develop internships on or off campus to augment their activities in the classroom and laboratory. Internships are available with the department's greenhouse facility, the UC Davis Arboretum, landscape designers, local nurseries, government agencies, regional non-profits, and restoration firms. Career opportunities in this field include growing and/or managing plants in a variety of settings, including nurseries & arboreta, consulting as an arborist, or as an urban, landscape, or restoration horticulturist; business ownership; park management and landscape contracting; working in the public or private sector, or for non-profit organizations.

Major Advisor

Advising Center for the major is located in 1220 Plant & Environmental Sciences; plsadvising@ucdavis.edu.

Preparatory Subject Matter
Recommended as part of the College English Composition Requirement or the Words & Images Core Literacy Component:
Introduction to Public Speaking
Environmental Horticulture
ENH 001 (Discontinued)3
ENH 006Introduction to Environmental Plants4
Landscape Architecture
LDA 030History of Environmental Design4
Biological Science
BIS 002AIntroduction to Biology: Essentials of Life on Earth5
BIS 002BIntroduction to Biology: Principles of Ecology & Evolution5
Plant Science
PLS 002Botany & Physiology of Cultivated Plants4
PLS 021Application of Computers in Technology3
or PLS 021V Application of Computers in Technology
Chemistry
CHE 002AGeneral Chemistry5
CHE 002BGeneral Chemistry5
Environmental Science & Policy
ESP 001Environmental Analysis3-4
or ESP 010 Current Issues in the Environment
Physics
PHY 001APrinciples of Physics3
PHY 001BPrinciples of Physics3
Choose one:3-4
Short Calculus
Elementary Statistics
Elementary Statistics
Choose one:3-4
Writing in the Disciplines: Biology
Writing in the Disciplines: Environmental Writing
Writing in the Professions: Science
Other upper division composition course. May overlap with college composition requirement; may be satisfied by passing the English Composition Exam.
Lower Division Restricted Electives
Choose one lower division resource science course and one lower division social science/humanities course in consultation with advisor; minimum 6 units.6
Preparatory Subject Matter Subtotal59-62
Depth Subject Matter
ENH 102Physiological Principles in Environmental Horticulture (Discontinued)3-4
or PLS 100A Metabolic Processes of Cultivated Plants
Choose one:4-5
Taxonomy & Ecology of Environmental Plant Families
California Floristics
Systematics & Evolution of Angiosperms
PLB/EVE 117Plant Ecology4
or PLS 150 Sustainability & Agroecosystem Management
Plant Science
PLS 171Principles & Practices of Plant Propagation4
Soil Science
SSC 100Principles of Soil Science5
Choose two 7-9
Arthropod Pest Management
Plant Nematology
Introduction to Plant Pathology
Concepts in Pest Management
Introduction to Weed Science
Internship or research; must be approved by major advisor. 3
Upper Division Restricted Electives
In consultation with an advisor, choose three upper division courses in the areas of resource sciences and social sciences/humanities; at least one course must come from each of these two areas; minimum 9 units.9
Sample List of Upper Division Restricted Electives PDF
Depth Subject Matter Subtotal39-43
Areas of Specialization
Choose one:16-24
No course may be used to satisfy more than one requirement.
Areas of Specialization Subtotal16-24
Total Units114-129

Floriculture/Nursery Option

ENH 120Management of Container Media3
ENH 125Greenhouse & Nursery Crop Production5
ABT/SAF 165Irrigation Practices for an Urban Environment3
ENT 135Introduction to Biological Control4
Choose one:3-4
Environmental Interactions of Cultivated Plants
Mineral Nutrition of Plants
Sustainable Nutrient Management
Total Units18-19

Plant Biodiversity/Restoration Option

ENH 160Restoration Ecology4
ENH 160LRestoration Ecology Laboratory1
Choose one:3-5
Genetics & Plant Conservation: The Biodiversity Crisis
Introduction to Evolution
Plant Morphology & Evolution
(a) Choose one:3-4
Role of Fire in Natural Ecosystems
Plant Conservation Biology
Wetland Ecology Laboratory
Grassland Ecology
Sustainability & Agroecosystem Management
Wildlife Space Use & Habitat Conservation
(b) Choose one:3-5
Wetland Ecology
Systematics & Evolution of Angiosperms
Plant Ecology
Population Biology of Invasive Plants & Weeds
California Floristics
Trees & Forests
California Plant Communities
and California Plant Communities Field Study
Ecosystem & Landscape Ecology
Introduction to Weed Science
Plant Geography
Coastal Ecosystems
Choose one additional class from section a or b.3-5
Total Units17-24

Urban Landscape Management Option

ENH 100Urban Forestry4
ENH 133Woody Plants in the Landscape: Growth, Ecology & Management4
ABT/SAF 165Irrigation Practices for an Urban Environment3
PLS 162Urban Ecology3
SAS 018GIS & Society3-4
or LDA 150 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
or ABT 150 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Total Units17-18