I am sure you must have felt that agonizing feeling while watching Chris McCandless- the protagonist of the “Into the Wild” movie - dying because of starvation and mistakenly eating a seed from an unknown dangerous plant thinking that it was edible. Of course, he had a plant identification book with him but I wish there were plant identification apps so that he could have reaffirmed what he was eating.
Fortunately, today's backpackers have a little more privileges in terms of technology and can use apps to identify plants they don't know. They can ensure that whatever they are eating is fit for human consumption.
Are you a gardener like me who loves to see growing plants and flowers in your backyards. Do you often see and wonder what this random garden addition is? Well, with apps for identifying the plants, you can identify that newly grown weed in your patio or a succulent that is given to you as a gift.
You can think of these apps as a “Shazam for plants.” You take a snap of a flower or a plant, and there you go. It will present you with meticulous details about them.
In this article, we have curated the best plant identification apps that will not only help you save your life but guide you in exploring the unseen plants. Let’s delve deeper and find you an ideal plant finder app.
Best Free Apps to Identify Plants and Trees
iNaturalist
- Recognize the plant by taking photos
- Record your identifications and share with the community
- Follow projects on plants and places
- Dashboard showing your observations & plant species
iNaturalist is an app for identifying plants and animals around you. With this app, you can be an essential part of the biodiversity science campaign carried out by the California academy of sciences and national geographic. iNaturalist allows you to observe anything- from a butterfly to a tiny weed growing around your neighborhood- and upload it to the app. Your gathered data will then be used by scientists and researchers in the global biodiversity information facility.
Talking about the features of the app, you can share your plant findings with your fellow naturalists and discuss them in-depth about it. In addition to that, you can stay updated on the local projects on plants and places governed by local communities or researchers.
The app is available on both the App Store and Play store. However, The app’s aesthetics could be a big turndown for its users.
iNaturalist
iNaturalist is an app for identifying plants and animals around you. With this app, you can be an essential part of the biodiversity science campaign carried out by the California academy of sciences and national geographic. iNaturalist allows you to observe anything- from a butterfly to a tiny weed growing around your neighborhood- and upload it to the app. Your gathered data will then be used by scientists and researchers in the global biodiversity information facility.
Talking about the features of the app, you can share your plant findings with your fellow naturalists and discuss them in-depth about it. In addition to that, you can stay updated on the local projects on plants and places governed by local communities or researchers.
The app is available on both the App Store and Play store. However, The app’s aesthetics could be a big turndown for its users.
- Recognize the plant by taking photos
- Record your identifications and share with the community
- Follow projects on plants and places
- Dashboard showing your observations & plant species
PlantNet Plant Identification
- Filters for finding plants as per their genus and family
- Social sharing with the community
- Categorized world flora
- Know your past observation on the map
- Validate your plant identification
PlantNet is yet another free plant identification app for plant experts and bottony-obsessed people. With billions of plant images and thousands of species, this app is in every respect an excellent app for identifying plants and trees.
The captivating thing about this app is that it is a part of a citizen science project. So, it needs users like you who are really into the world of plants and flowers. With millions of people taking photos of uncountable plants all around the world, the database is ever-growing- not to mention the community.
Talking about the features, the app identifies the eclectic range of flowering plants, trees, conifers, ferns, grasses, vines, wild salads, or cacti. You can explore and study different plants by filtering the species by family or genus. Also with social sharing, you can validate your plant identification. Currently, there are 20,000 species identification available in the app and the list is growing by leaps and bound.
You can also tag the social media account of PlantNet in case you want your plant to be featured on their Instagram page.
PlantNet Plant Identification
PlantNet is yet another free plant identification app for plant experts and bottony-obsessed people. With billions of plant images and thousands of species, this app is in every respect an excellent app for identifying plants and trees.
The captivating thing about this app is that it is a part of a citizen science project. So, it needs users like you who are really into the world of plants and flowers. With millions of people taking photos of uncountable plants all around the world, the database is ever-growing- not to mention the community.
Talking about the features, the app identifies the eclectic range of flowering plants, trees, conifers, ferns, grasses, vines, wild salads, or cacti. You can explore and study different plants by filtering the species by family or genus. Also with social sharing, you can validate your plant identification. Currently, there are 20,000 species identification available in the app and the list is growing by leaps and bound.
You can also tag the social media account of PlantNet in case you want your plant to be featured on their Instagram page.
- Filters for finding plants as per their genus and family
- Social sharing with the community
- Categorized world flora
- Know your past observation on the map
- Validate your plant identification
Plantyx
- Search history
- 10k+ plant database with 95% accuracy
- Intuitive UI
- Identify plans by taking photos or existing photos
If you are a novice in plant identification hobby, Plantyx could be your know-it-all guide on plants. Just bring out your phone and take a snap of the plant, upload the plant, and there you go. The app will come with accurate and legit information about that plant species.
The app promises to provide a delightful experience through its user interface and usability. It is something that will instantly stand out. Plantyx’s search history feature will ensure your recurring visit to a particular plant remains painless. Also, the app’s In-app purchases let you upgrade your app and opens a whole new feature list, which will enable you to explore more stuff on plants and trees.
The app boasts of having a repository of 10,000+ plants in its database and 95% identification accuracy.
Plantyx
If you are a novice in plant identification hobby, Plantyx could be your know-it-all guide on plants. Just bring out your phone and take a snap of the plant, upload the plant, and there you go. The app will come with accurate and legit information about that plant species.
The app promises to provide a delightful experience through its user interface and usability. It is something that will instantly stand out. Plantyx’s search history feature will ensure your recurring visit to a particular plant remains painless. Also, the app’s In-app purchases let you upgrade your app and opens a whole new feature list, which will enable you to explore more stuff on plants and trees.
The app boasts of having a repository of 10,000+ plants in its database and 95% identification accuracy.
- Search history
- 10k+ plant database with 95% accuracy
- Intuitive UI
- Identify plans by taking photos or existing photos
NatureID
- Diagnose a plant disease
- Identify pets and plants
- 10,000 + plants with 95% accuracy
- 63 cat breeds and 462 dog breeds
- Collect your favorites
- Article and blogs
Just like iNaturalist, adding a layer to plant identification capacity, NatureID goes one step beyond and identifies the wildlife around you. Wondering which dog breed you have encountered this morning while jogging. Just take a snap, and NatureID will come with a detailed description of that particular breed.
Don’t worry; the app will not disappoint you as a plant lover; it has everything the best plant identification application should have. The app may even surprise you with its plant symptom checker feature. Also, with news and article section, you can keep yourself acquainted with the insights on plants and pets. The interface of the app is also one reason you should download this app.
NatureID
Just like iNaturalist, adding a layer to plant identification capacity, NatureID goes one step beyond and identifies the wildlife around you. Wondering which dog breed you have encountered this morning while jogging. Just take a snap, and NatureID will come with a detailed description of that particular breed.
Don’t worry; the app will not disappoint you as a plant lover; it has everything the best plant identification application should have. The app may even surprise you with its plant symptom checker feature. Also, with news and article section, you can keep yourself acquainted with the insights on plants and pets. The interface of the app is also one reason you should download this app.
- Diagnose a plant disease
- Identify pets and plants
- 10,000 + plants with 95% accuracy
- 63 cat breeds and 462 dog breeds
- Collect your favorites
- Article and blogs
You Might Also Like
Blossom
- Planting and caring details
- Set care reminders
- Find plants you like
- Create your garden
You are a plant lover; it is given that you love beauty. So, a beautiful app will attract you as much as a little plant you are growing in your backyards. Blossom is the elegantly created app for identifying the plants and trees. If you are a plantsman and gardening is your thing, then there is hardly any app that you will find this much useful.
Not only does this app allows you to identify unknown plants around you, but you can also nurture the plants you are sowing. It lets you set reminders for taking the care and keep track of the total trees and plants you have planted and collected. You can upgrade the app by upgrading your app to a premium version and identify unlimited numbers of plants. It gives access to unlimited notifications to manage your garden.
Furthermore, if you collect plants for your home decor or your garden, Blossom has a thematic collection of plants. Therefore, you can search plants by categories like “Top plants for a gift”, Indoor plants for pure air, etc.
Blossom
You are a plant lover; it is given that you love beauty. So, a beautiful app will attract you as much as a little plant you are growing in your backyards. Blossom is the elegantly created app for identifying the plants and trees. If you are a plantsman and gardening is your thing, then there is hardly any app that you will find this much useful.
Not only does this app allows you to identify unknown plants around you, but you can also nurture the plants you are sowing. It lets you set reminders for taking the care and keep track of the total trees and plants you have planted and collected. You can upgrade the app by upgrading your app to a premium version and identify unlimited numbers of plants. It gives access to unlimited notifications to manage your garden.
Furthermore, if you collect plants for your home decor or your garden, Blossom has a thematic collection of plants. Therefore, you can search plants by categories like “Top plants for a gift”, Indoor plants for pure air, etc.
- Planting and caring details
- Set care reminders
- Find plants you like
- Create your garden
PlantSnap Plant Identification
- Take photo of any plant, mushroom, and cactae
- 60,000+ searchable plant database
- Immersive experience through AR (Augmented Reality)
- Details on plant’s Classification Taxonomy
- Create a collection of your favorites
If you are someone who is a complete newbie in this field or witnessing a growing late-life interest in botany, PlantSnap could be an ideal mobile application for you. We bet you would instantly fall in love with the greenish themed, simple to use and attractive user interface of this popular plant identification app.
Like some of the above-described apps, this app contains the facility of social sharing. The community around the world you connect is called PlantSnapers; you can connect with them, share photos of plants and trees, and interact with them to grow your knowledge on assortments of plants. What is more appealing about this app is that it is available in more than 37 languages. Additionally, PlantSnap lets you explore the uncharted species of plants across the globe; it claims to identify 90% of the plant species.
Want to have access to more advanced features? No worries! The app has its premium version available in iOS and Android both of which provide extra features for a better experience.
PlantSnap Plant Identification
If you are someone who is a complete newbie in this field or witnessing a growing late-life interest in botany, PlantSnap could be an ideal mobile application for you. We bet you would instantly fall in love with the greenish themed, simple to use and attractive user interface of this popular plant identification app.
Like some of the above-described apps, this app contains the facility of social sharing. The community around the world you connect is called PlantSnapers; you can connect with them, share photos of plants and trees, and interact with them to grow your knowledge on assortments of plants. What is more appealing about this app is that it is available in more than 37 languages. Additionally, PlantSnap lets you explore the uncharted species of plants across the globe; it claims to identify 90% of the plant species.
Want to have access to more advanced features? No worries! The app has its premium version available in iOS and Android both of which provide extra features for a better experience.
- Take photo of any plant, mushroom, and cactae
- 60,000+ searchable plant database
- Immersive experience through AR (Augmented Reality)
- Details on plant’s Classification Taxonomy
- Create a collection of your favorites
PictureThis
- 10,000+ Plant species in the database
- Available in 9 languages
- 200+ beautiful Wallpapers
- Observed flower map of the world
- 500,000 answers of questions
- Build a personal collection of plants, flowers, and trees
You can think of PictureThis as an encyclopedia of plants. For quite some time, this app has become a go-to tool for identifying any plants on the earth- especially for plant hunters and plant collectors. If you are into collecting unexplored plants, then this app is the best plant identification app for you.
The plant identification process is so simple that even a novice can use the app without any hassle. You just require to take or upload a photo of any plant or parts of plants like leaf or flower, and the app will come up with the detail of the plant. What is impressive about this app is that you will get a 98% accurate result for your plant search.
Along with the identification, PictureThis lets you meet like-minded people from all over the world. You can explore, ask, and share your plant and other exciting facts with 30,000+ plant lovers and experts. It will help you reaffirm the identification of your plants.
PictureThis
You can think of PictureThis as an encyclopedia of plants. For quite some time, this app has become a go-to tool for identifying any plants on the earth- especially for plant hunters and plant collectors. If you are into collecting unexplored plants, then this app is the best plant identification app for you.
The plant identification process is so simple that even a novice can use the app without any hassle. You just require to take or upload a photo of any plant or parts of plants like leaf or flower, and the app will come up with the detail of the plant. What is impressive about this app is that you will get a 98% accurate result for your plant search.
Along with the identification, PictureThis lets you meet like-minded people from all over the world. You can explore, ask, and share your plant and other exciting facts with 30,000+ plant lovers and experts. It will help you reaffirm the identification of your plants.
- 10,000+ Plant species in the database
- Available in 9 languages
- 200+ beautiful Wallpapers
- Observed flower map of the world
- 500,000 answers of questions
- Build a personal collection of plants, flowers, and trees
Google Lens
- Scan & translate any text
- Scan Barcodes & QR codes
- Identify Plants & animals
- Recognize nearby landmarks
- Find what’s best on the restaurant menu
Till now, we have seen many iPhone apps to identify plants. Android users might question an absence of specifically developed plant identification app for Android in this list. But don’t worry, guys, we have saved the best one for the last.
Google Lens (Bonus App) is an amazingly created app working on the AI-based visual search engine. The interesting thing about this app is that it will recognize any objects around you- be it a building around the corner, pet sitting in the park, weed sprouted up in your garden, or apparel someone has worn.
Moreover, the app can instantly translate any foreign language into your native language. You can also scan the menu and know what is popular on the list from a particular restaurant by using this app.
Of course, the app is in its infancy, but among the list, you can consider this as the best plant identification app for android.
Google Lens
Till now, we have seen many iPhone apps to identify plants. Android users might question an absence of specifically developed plant identification app for Android in this list. But don’t worry, guys, we have saved the best one for the last.
Google Lens (Bonus App) is an amazingly created app working on the AI-based visual search engine. The interesting thing about this app is that it will recognize any objects around you- be it a building around the corner, pet sitting in the park, weed sprouted up in your garden, or apparel someone has worn.
Moreover, the app can instantly translate any foreign language into your native language. You can also scan the menu and know what is popular on the list from a particular restaurant by using this app.
Of course, the app is in its infancy, but among the list, you can consider this as the best plant identification app for android.
- Scan & translate any text
- Scan Barcodes & QR codes
- Identify Plants & animals
- Recognize nearby landmarks
- Find what’s best on the restaurant menu
Conclusion:
Lately, people are moving closer to nature through whatever the way they think is suitable for them. Plant identification and collection is one such hobby that is witnessing a growing community. If you are proud plant parents or a hobbyist and don't know how to identify a plant, these best apps to identify plants will definitely help you become an expert in the field.