Identification of a plant is of interest to all plant lovers, whether it’s a house-plant, outdoor plant, or the ones you find on your way. Knowing what we are looking at makes us able to identify the needs of that particular plant. In this digital age of advanced technology, there is an easy way to identify any plant.
Many software developers have developed such applications that can be easily installed on your mobile phones, whether Android or iOS and can identify a wide range of plant species. You can upload the picture of your plant to be identified and can easily get the results.
Some of these apps hire professional botanists to do this job, whereas some work with an extensive database to identify a plant species. However, there are so many species to be identified and so many apps to select from. So how do you choose the best plant identification app from so many plant identifiers?
Fortunately, we did our research and created this list of the best plant identification app choices for your smart-phone.
PlantSnap
PlantSnap is one of the best plant identification apps which only needs you to take a clear photo of a few leaves or just a flower of the plant, but it doesn’t work with the photo of the whole plant. The app will then scan the photo through 500,000 species available in the database. Once the plant is identified, it will give you its name and also an option to read more about the plant. Along with identifying your plant, this app also lets you buy that plant from their HTA certified nursery.
Pl@ntNet
Pl@ntNet app works on the database provided by its users. It can identify the image of a plant that is already uploaded by one of its users. The app has over 1 million images of about 20,000 species in its database. The database grows with each new identification that is made by its users. The user must share a clear and visible photo of the leaves of a plant in order to get accurate results. Pl@ntNet also allows its users to browse its extensive directory. Users can also share their photos to be verified by other users.
iNaturalist
This app is an initiative of the California Academy of Science and the National Geographic Society. It is available on the iOS and Android app marketplaces and provides gardeners and plant lovers the opportunity to share their observations of the natural world through this app’s social network. The app confirms the identity of the plant by matching the photo from the database as well as by taking confirmation from other users. If the photo is unclear, the app suggests other possible options that can then be verified. The app also allows you to explore its extensive database, which includes not only plants but also insects and animals.
FlowerChecker
FlowerChecker is another amazing app that allows you to get detailed information about plants, shrubbery, insets, and more from an extensive network of professionals with decades of experience in the field. FlowerChecker uses a paid model; this means you will have to pay some amount for each identification. Unfortunately, it means that this can add up quite significantly if you’re planning on using it daily. The results provided by FlowerChecker are precise, since the information is coming directly from human sources, and not artificial intelligence.
FlowerChecker not only identifies the standard plants, but it also detects mosses, lichen, and fungi, thus covering pretty much every plant you might see around. The one thing that you will come across while identification through FlowerChecker is that this app is not instantaneous; it can take a couple of minutes to an hour to get a result. But, that’s because the information is coming from human sources and not artificial intelligence.
PictureThis
PictureThis is one of the latest plant apps, which works a lot like “google goggles.” Take a picture of a flower, or a leaf and then upload it on the app. The app will then identify it for you. The app uses computer algorithms, so there are chances of errors. But each species has detailed written information from botanists, so it can become a great learning tool. There is also a premium version of this app that can be bought for more precise results, but the basic version can also do a lot of work for you.
Plantix
Crops, fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants can be identified through this app. The app not only identifies the plant, but it also provides the care information about that plant. The feature that makes this app stand out from other apps is its ability to identify agronomic and fruit crops. It’s like a mini agriculture and horticulture expert in your pocket.
PlantFinder
PlantFinder is like a one-stop guide to knowing everything about plants. It is a paid-subscription based app available on both AppStore and play-store. Just upload a picture of your plant, and the app will process it and display the required information. This app can also provide you with plant care tips and reminders.
LikeThat Garden
You can discover and study thousands of plants and flowers with this beautiful image recognition app. It uses a built-in visual search technology. LikeThatGarden is an amazing app to identify a plant; through it, you only need to hold up your device and snap a picture to learn more about the plant in front of you, via high-resolution photos and detailed species names and descriptions. It also provides other helpful information regarding the plant. The addition of similar looking flowers and plants makes this app a dream for gardeners, landscape designers, and anyone that loves the natural flora.
NatureGate
NatureGate helps you to identify species in nature easily. The best thing about this app is that you don’t need an internet connection to identify your plant. Just create an account, download the free Flower Identification Tool, and start identifying over 700 species. The identification process is made easier with detailed photos.
What’s That Flower
What’s that flower is one of the popular flower identification apps. The app does not rely on photos; instead, it gives a basic questionnaire that is solved by the user. The app then guesses the possible results. This is useful if you do not have a photo of the required plant, but you want to recall its name. The app has a database of up to 600 different types of flowers. The app also has a premium version that can work offline and doesn’t show ads.
Garden Answers Plant Identifier
Garden Answers Plant Identifier is an app that contains information about 20,000 plants in it. You can also search the plant by sharing an image. It is simple to use and also save the results of your searches. It is available on both Android and iOS.
Agrobase
Agrobase is a serious app for farmers, gardeners, and anybody who is interested in plants. It has an extensive database of plants, weeds, pests, and plant diseases. It’s extremely useful for identifying all kinds of plant life. Besides, the app features a web app, consistent updates, detailed descriptions, perfect plant photos, and more.
SmartPlant
If you want to identify a plant, pest, or disease, the SmartPlant Home app is here for you. It allows you to take a photo and share it with their expert team; they will not only identify the plant; but will also tell you how to grow and care for it. Take a photo of a disease or pests, and their 24/7 available team will guide you about the type of pest or disease that is affecting the health of your plants. They will also give you great information on how to deal with the problem and prevent it from recurring.
Garden Compass
Similar to SmartPlant, Garden Compass also helps you identify plants, diseases, and pests as well as provide you with a monthly reminder so that you can take care of all your garden plants.
iPflanzen
The app does not need a picture to identify a plant; rather, it requires you to enter criteria about the plant, its leaf shape, or fruit color to make the identification. The app also gets help from other apps like iGarten and iForest through which detailed and interesting information can easily be found.
Google Lens
Although it’s not directly a plant app, it can recognize your plant pictures. The app processes the photo you provide and offers you the possible suggestions and information about what it possibly could be.
Conclusion
Plant identification apps can be a great tool in helping gardeners to identify a specific plant so that they can buy the plant they love and add it in their gardens. With emerging advanced technology and artificial intelligence, these digital apps provide the gardeners with plant care tips and help them in combating pests and diseases.
These apps are easily available on the Android and iOS stores, but some of these require you to buy subscriptions to get all of their services. These apps can help you a lot if you are a beginner in the gardening field, or, even, a seasoned naturalist and want to know all about flowers and plants that you may grow in your garden or see on the landscape.
