Are you an avid gardener or wildlife explorer? Or maybe just a curious learner blessed with a green thumb? Whatever the case, we’re here to help you discover the ‘shazam’ of plant apps!
We’re calling on all plant enthusiasts to say goodbye to their resource worries because we’ve discovered some super handy apps to help you turn your brown thumb into a vibrant green!
Gardening is a stress-relieving hobby and makes a viable impact on the environment too! If you’re new to the field, we can help you in your venture to establish safe grounds.
Plant identification apps are helpful for gardeners and plant enthusiasts; they can also act as a learning tool for students, teachers, and researchers.
These apps aid nature lovers who love to camp in the great outdoors and wish to differentiate toxic plant species from safe edible ones.
Some of these apps offer care tips and suggestions for plant parents; therefore, you can readily identify diseases and gain advice on issues such as pest control.
In this era of modernization and technology, it is easy to gain access to plant-related information. However, with so many apps out there, the process becomes tedious – choosing an app that would adhere to your requirements takes time and effort.
Not anymore! These apps are exclusively for YOU!
For ease, the apps are divided into two categories: paid and unpaid (free). Each app has a short description along with its salient features.
Let’s find one that caters to your needs aptly!
Table of Contents
List of Best Free Plant Identification Apps
iNaturalist; A Synergistic Collaboration
Available on: Android & IOS
Website: https://www.inaturalist.org/
How It Works:
This app is more like an interactive social hub for plant lovers, where you can meet and greet people who share the same interests as yours! All your obsessions and plant-associated frenzies will be welcomed on iNaturalist!
This app is a collaboration between the California Academy of Science & the National Geographic Society. Such a fruitful collaboration has contributed to a productive community where observations and findings are exchanged frequently.
Users can upload pictures, and others in the community can help identify them; this activity simultaneously expands the research database.
A unique feature on this app allows users to browse species in their local region and find any nature-related projects happening in institutions near them.
A children-friendly version of this app is famous by the name ‘Seek’. It is a wonderful app to get your children started on gardening early on!
PlantSnap; The Best of Both Worlds
Available on: Android & IOS
Website: https://www.plantsnap.com/
How It Works:
This app is the Instagram of the plant world! It has a vast database and is equipped with artificial intelligence, an attribute that makes it faster and more efficient than other apps.
It is also available in 30 different languages, making it helpful in catering to a broader audience.
PlantSnap can identify over 625,000 plants and trees! Just upload the picture, and the app will handle the rest. PlantSnap also gives you a tid bit of information regarding the plant you are probing into.
If the app fails to identify the plant, you can add it to the database, and it’ll soon gain the limelight to surface yet again, but this time with an identity!
The best part about this app is that it has a partnership with trees.org, and every time a user uploads a picture, PlantSnap plants a tree. So far, it has already planted 10,000 new trees around the globe.
Sadly, this app is not entirely free – it hosts a few ads every now and then on its free version, and you’d have to subscribe to their premium package to enjoy hassle-free scrolling.
The free version offers only a limited set of uploads per day (around ten snaps), after which you can access the gallery only.
PlantNet; Always a Yes to Nature!
Available for: Android & IOS
Website: https://plantnet.org/en/
How It Works:
This app identifies plants through pictures based on a growing database of over 20,000 species. PlantNet groups each image a user shares into one of the three categories: Geographical, Thematic (Ornamental Plants), or Specific Flora of a region.
The app gives similar search results for each picture shared so that the user can choose the closest option.
Furthermore, other users can also verify the pictures shared, hence adding to the database.
The app offers access to a directory of plants classified according to family, genus, and species – this feature encourages efficient browsing and effective learning of plants.
Its features don’t end here; you can go above and beyond with the PlantNet Plant Identification app. Whether it’s mapping your observations, accessing links to valuable factsheets, or exploring new species and genera – it’s all in the palm of your hand, free of cost!
LeafSnap; Simplicity is Key
Available on: Android & IOS
Website: https://leafsnap.app/
How It Works:
LeafSnap identifies plants (or any part of the plant, such as leaves or flowers) through the picture uploaded by the user.
Thanks to its user-friendly interface, you can readily grasp the technicalities and start using the app right away.
Once a picture is uploaded, the app gives suggestions of different plants that may be identical or closest to your plant. LeafSnap claims to identify 90% of the plant species from an inbuilt app database.
This app is excellent for identifying common houseplants and flowers. You can also widen your horizons of knowledge by learning about unidentified trees in your midst!
List of Best Paid Plant Identification Apps
Flower Checker; Accurate Information, Always!
Available on: Android & IOS
Website: https://www.flowerchecker.com/
How It Works:
This app charges 1 USD for every correct identification – you may deem it a relatively expensive option, but it certainly does have features that make it superior to its free counterparts.
Rather than relying on artificial intelligence, this app has employed a team of plant experts who analyze the picture you upload for identification. It’s only fair to say that you’ll be getting the most accurate information from their panel.
The identification process isn’t rapid, but it’s definitely worth the bucks if you’re someone who relies on 100% accurate details only.
Suppose the experts fail to analyze your plant, you won’t be charged for it. The first three identifications are free, so go ahead and give it a shot to see if Flower Checker suits your liking.
On average, it takes an hour (or less) for the experts to analyze, identify, and return the picture with the associated credentials.
Smart Plant; Your Local Tinkerbell
Available on: Android & IOS
Website: https://smartplantapp.com/
How It Works:
This app also charges 1 USD for every correct identification and has hired a panel of experts to help you with the plant-identification process.
In addition, it also provides users with advice and recommendations on plants in the ‘Digitial care calendar’ platform on the Smart Plant app.
The app allows two free submissions along with free credit each month.
PictureThis; Worth Your Bucks!
Available on: Android & IOS
Website: https://www.picturethisai.com/
How It Works:
This app is relatively more popular than other paid apps and has a high star rating.
PictureThis offers a 7-day free trial, after which you have to subscribe to their year-long membership to continue with their services.
If you’re not keen on spending bucks on such apps (like me), simply opt for the free version of this app. You’ll encounter frequent adverts, and there’s also a limit to the number of free snaps you can upload – but that’s just how freebies work, right?
This app uses artificial intelligence and claims to have a 99% accuracy rate. In addition to this, PictureThis also offers free tips on plant care and pest control.
It houses a community of a large plethora of plant enthusiasts on the platform who can engage youin productive plant-related discussions.
Ask Away: The FAQ Section
Say hello to the future! Google Lens made its debut in 2017 and has taken over the internet by storm – and all for good reason. You can easily gain access to desired information about plants, animals, and much more. All you need to do is upload the photo!
PictureThis vouches for 98% accuracy with regards to plant identification.
