Even the most experienced gardener will occasionally encounter new, unknown plants. Traditionally, identifying these mysterious species meant trawling through books and encyclopedias. But now, there’s a much easier way – plant identification apps.
This article will examine ten apps to find the best plant identification app for gardeners and horticulturalists around the world.
Benefits of using a plant identification app
With hundreds of thousands of plant, tree, lichen, and moss species throughout the world, there will always be plants that even the most venerable gardeners won’t be able to identify. But thanks to the continued development of smartphone technology, identifying new plants can be quick and easy.
Most plant identification apps use your phone’s camera to upload a picture of an unknown plant to an online or AI-powered database. The software then searches the database for relevant matches before showing them to you – all in a few seconds or minutes.
Using a plant identification app helps save gardeners time and effort, eliminating the need to rifle through huge tomes such as plant encyclopedias. In addition, most plant apps can provide plenty of useful care and growing information about the unknown plant once it has been recognized. This can help gardeners find new plants for their plots.
Once you have identified the plant, take advantage of our plant care guide for growth tips.
Top 3 Plant Identification Apps
Here are the top 3 plant identification apps at a glance:
PlantSnap
One of the biggest and best plant identification apps, PlantSnap has over 600,000 species in its database. The extremely accurate software can recognize unknown plants quickly and effectively, and the app itself is simple and easy to use. PlantSnap is available on most devices and also works with over 37 different languages.
Garden Answers
Another well-known plant identification app, Garden Answers is not only capable of identifying plants, but also any diseases or pests that might be plaguing them as well. This gives the app extra practical use for gardeners. Users can also get access to trusted advice from notable plant experts, creating a more interactive experience.
Flower Checker
While Flower Checker is a paid app, it’s also extremely accurate because all entries are scrutinized and identified by a physical team of leading botanists. The app is still easy to use and is available on both Android and Apple. The extensive database can also name several species of fungi, lichens, and mosses.
Review of 10 plant identification apps
1. PlantSnap
Summary
PlantSnap is one of the most well-established plant identification apps, with an extensive database that can identify 90% of known plant species. Striving to improve their accuracy and catalog even further, PlantSnap has even partnered with the social media app Snapchat.
PlantSnap uses the tried and tested method of identifying plants through your device’s camera via the app. Their database of over 600,000 species also includes cacti, fungi, and succulents. With each correct identification, the accuracy of the software grows even more. The app also instantly provides key information about the identified plant.
There’s a social aspect to PlantSnap as well. Users can see snaps from other members across the globe via a world map. Users can also create their own collection of their favorite species in the app. Thanks to its global audience, PlantSnap is available for free from the Apple and Android app stores in over 37 languages.
Benefits
- Extensive database of 600,000 species
- Easy to use
- Free to download, with a premium version also available
- Available in multiple languages
2. Plantifier
Summary
Plantifier takes a slightly different approach to many other plant identification apps. All submitted images are evaluated by Plantifier’s extensive user community, using crowdsourcing to identify plant species. The community is part of MyGarden.org, which is a social network geared towards horticulturalists.
Plantifier is pretty simple to use. It doesn’t offer too many complicated features and responses can be relatively quick. The more users that Plantifier has, the more accurate the software becomes. You can also save uploaded photos into a collection on the app to refer to later on. Plantifier is also free to download for both Android and Apple device users. However, if you want absolutely authentic answers, Plantifier can sometimes fall short.
Benefits
- Free to download and use
- Easy to use
- Ability to save photos
- Access to a social network for gardeners
3. Leafsnap
Summary
Most plant identification apps work by taking photos of plants, including the flowers, to search a database for the plant. However, flowers are not always available all year round, especially in the fall and winter. But Leafsnap focuses on using high-quality images of foliage to help users identify unknown plants all year round.
Leafsnap is available for Apple devices in both the US and the UK and is free to download. The extensive database also provides pictures of the bark, fruits, flowers, and seeds to give users even more resources to identify unknown plants. It’s even used by the Natural History Museum in the UK.
Leafsnap’s database and app were both developed by teams at prestigious universities in the US, including Columbia University. The app uses top-notch software to deliver quick and accurate responses to queries.
Benefits
- Extensive database of leaves, bark, fruits, flowers, and seeds
- Simple to use and focused on the task
- Free to download for Apple users in the US and UK
- Backed by prestigious universities and museums
4. GardenTags
Summary
GardenTags is much more than a plant identification app. It’s a gardener-focused social network with a range of useful features such as gardening tips and a blog. The plant identification tool is free to use and can be downloaded by both Android and Apple users.
The database is built by GardenTags’ users and the uploaded photos can also serve as inspiration for your next garden design. GardenTags also uses AI-powered software to generate fast and accurate responses for over 20,000 species of plants. The GardenTags app is simple and easy to use and utilizes a quick photo uploading process to get you started.
GardenTags also offers users the chance to get expert gardening advice from more experienced gardeners, allowing you to find help when considering whether to grow a new plant.
Benefits
- Accurate AI-powered software with 20,000 species
- Free for both Android and Apple users
- Packed with extra features such as gardening advice
5. Flower Checker
Summary
While Flower Checker isn’t a free app, it’s one of the most accurate. That’s because all plant photos uploaded to the app are checked and identified by a team of expert botanists. This means that you get truly accurate identification of unknown plants.
Flower Checker still operates in the tried and tested plant identification app way – users take a picture of the mysterious plant via the Flower Checker app on their smartphone. The photo is then sent to Flower Checker’s team of experts.
While responses may not always be as quick as other plant identification apps, Flower Checker’s use of botanical experts means that their results are as accurate as possible. Flower Checker’s experts can also identify fungi, lichens, and mosses. The app can be purchased on both the Apple and Android app stores.
Benefits
- Get expert advice from professional botanists on unknown plants
- Available for Apple and Android devices
- Database includes fungi, lichen, and mosses as well
6. Garden Answers
Summary
Garden Answers is one of the most popular plant identification apps thanks to its simple, focused style and ease of use. Using the same formula as most plant identification apps, Garden Answers generates fast responses because of its extensive database.
Garden Answers also provides an extra benefit to gardeners because the software can also recognize diseases and pests that could be present on plants. This identification is just as quick as the responses for uploading unknown plants.
The app also allows users to consult expert gardeners for advice about growing plants and other garden questions. Garden Answers can be downloaded by both Apple and Android users for free. The app is also one of the most well-designed plant identification apps on the market, with a sleek, minimalist interface.
Benefits
- Quick identification of new plants
- Able to recognize diseases and pests
- Excellent, easy to use interface
7. Google Lens/ Google Images
Summary
Identifying unknown plants doesn’t always require a dedicated plant-focused app. Smartphone users can also do their own investigative work by using Google Images. By uploading a photo to the Reverse Image search, gardeners can find related images to help identify a plant.
Users can also utilize the Google Lens app to search a comprehensive database of images for unidentified plants. Google Lens works in much the same way as the other plant identification apps on this list but has a more general approach. It may not be as focused as dedicated apps and relies on the user’s judgment to deliver a correct answer.
Both processes are easy to use and Google Lens is available to download for free from the Android app store. Reverse Image search can be accessed on both smartphones and computers.
Benefits
- Easy to use and available on most devices
- Uses Google’s extensive database of images
8. NatureGate
Summary
NatureGate is a fantastic plant and wildlife identification app that can identify a range of species, including flowers, shrubs, and trees. There is a range of filters to help narrow down your search, making it even easier to find exactly what you’re looking for.
The best feature of NatureGate is also fairly unique – the app can be used offline. This requires downloading NatureGate’s Flower Identification Tool for free, which installs a database of over 700 species onto your device. Each successful search provides extremely detailed information about the plant and can be used out in the field where there’s no internet signal.
NatureGate is partnered with various companies and organizations such as Nokia and UNESCO, adding even more authenticity to the app, which is available in eight languages.
Benefits
- Can be used offline by downloading a free identification tool
- Provides filters for narrowing down searches
- Comprehensive database of plants, shrubs, and trees
9. iPflanzen
Summary
iPflanzen is part of a group of three applications that provide an in-depth identification database for garden, forest, and park plants. iPflanzen provides the plant recognition service, with over 1500 species on its database. Its companion apps iForest and iGarten provide tree identification and garden design advice respectively.
All three apps can be downloaded for free from the Apple app store and for Android devices. To get a result with iPflanzen, users have to do a little more work than many other plant identification apps. Users need to tell the software some details about the unknown plant, such as leaf color and leaf shape.
This allows the software to generate ultra-specific results, although the database is somewhat limited in size compared to many of iPflanzen’s competitors.
Benefits
- Part of a group of apps that can be useful for gardeners
- Detailed responses based on entered factors
- Available for Apple and Android users
10. Pl@ntNet
Summary
Pl@ntNet is half plant identification app, half citizen science project. Following the same blueprint as many other plant identification apps, Pl@ntNet sets itself apart by having expert scientists analyze users’ entries to keep the app’s accuracy as high as possible.
The data gained through the user experience also helps scientists learn more about biodiversity and plant populations across the world. There are over 20,000 species in the app’s database, with separate sections and apps for different regions across the world. There’s also a wealth of helpful information about identified plants and the ability to use filters to narrow down your search.
Pl@ntNet is free to download for both Android and Apple devices, but can also be used on your computer’s web browser.
Benefits
- Results are checked by experienced scientists
- Over 20,000 species on the database
- Useful filters and extra information
Summary
There are plenty of plant identification apps available for gardeners who need to identify unknown plants. The best ones are apps like PlantSnap and Garden Answers, which provide a comprehensive plant database in a simple, straightforward app. These apps allow you to spend more time enjoying your garden without the fuss of trying to identify unknown plants.