By Rachel Wisinski | Photo by Lauren Harrigan
Whether you’re out on a nature walk or working in your own backyard, digital technology has made it easier than ever to identify and keep track of the plants, flowers and other vegetation you encounter from day to day, using just a quick photo. Here are four smartphone apps and websites to try.
iNaturalist
Cost: Free
Supported platforms: Android, iOS, web
Key features: This app makes it easy to share and confirm your findings with other users, including amateur and professional naturalists.
PlantSnap
Cost: Free for 10 identifications per day
Supported platforms: Android, iOS
Key features: This app has a well- organized taxonomy, including more than 600,000 plants in its searchable databases. It allows you to zoom in on photo details, offers gardening tips and advice for caring for plants, and makes it easy to connect with a community of plant lovers. The “Explore” function also allows you to use SnapMap to locate identified plants anywhere in the world.
FlowerChecker
Cost: Free to install, $1 per correct identification
Supported platforms: Android, iOS
Key features: This app uses a team of experts who receive a photo, analyze it and post its identification. It can also ID types of moss, lichen and fungi. Great for hard-to-identify plants.
NatureID
Cost: Free to use with unlimited plant identifications; full access requires a subscription.
Supported platforms: iOS
Key features: In addition to identifying a plant, this app provides recommendations on how to optimize soil, water and fertilization; set the appropriate temperature conditions; and more. Content is created with input from expert botanists. It can recognize over 15,000 natural objects with up to 95% accuracy, including trees, mushrooms, rocks, minerals and insects.