De Hortus Botanicus is launching a four-day course titled Green Strategies: How Do Plants Survive, focusing on plant adaptation to changing climates. The programme combines botanical science with observations of how city flora responds to shifting weather patterns in Amsterdam.
Plants face constant competition for light, water, and space while withstanding heat, cold, and intense rainfall. Over millions of years, different species have evolved specific tactics, from storing water in thick stems and roots to shedding foliage during dry spells.
Learning from the greenhouse
Participants will study plant distribution across various climate zones before examining living specimens in the garden. The botanical garden’s Klimatenkas serves as a primary classroom, housing plants from multiple climate regions under one roof.
By looking closely at leaves, roots, and thorns, participants learn how physical structures reflect the evolutionary pressures of a plant’s native habitat. The lessons illustrate how seemingly stationary organisms constantly adapt to environmental stress.
Street botany in Amsterdam
The final day of the course moves outside the garden gates to explore the surrounding streets. Urban climate shifts, including longer warm spells and frequent heavy downpours, are altering the conditions for greenery along quays, facades, and pavement cracks.
While some native species struggle in built-up areas that retain heat, species historically linked to warmer regions are gaining ground. The street walk examines which plants are managing to establish themselves and which are slowly disappearing from the city.
Course dates and details
The programme runs across four Saturday afternoons on 24 and 31 October, and 14 and 21 November, from 13:30 to 16:00. The cost is €125 per person, which includes admission to De Hortus.
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