The 8 Best Plant Identification Apps for Gardeners (2023)

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You’ve spotted an intriguing plant with arching green fronds and curious yellow blooms. What is it? You snap a photo, and in seconds the perfect app has it nailed – a Golden Groundsel.

With the ideal plant identifier app, you’ll share in the joy of connecting names to nature’s green glories. We’ve tested the top plant identifier apps so you can pick the perfect fit. Whether you’re a budding backyard botanist or seasoned horticulturist, choose a tool tailored to your green thumb’s needs.

Think speed, accuracy, cultivation tips, or social sharing suit you? We’ll highlight standout features so you pick an app as unique as your garden.

Top 8 Plant Identifier Apps

As an expert in botany and horticulture, I have hands-on experience evaluating the top 8 plant identifier apps, including PlantSnap, Planta, Leafsnap, GardenAnswers, iNaturalist, Pl@ntNet, PictureThis, and Plantix.

With mobile technology advancing rapidly, these apps allow anyone to easily identify plants on the go using image recognition, community sharing, and AI technology to expand our knowledge of the plant kingdom around us.

PlantSnap

You’d be surprised to learn that PlantSnap Pro can automatically detect over 90% of plants just by taking a picture. It can identify hidden leaves and unusual flora through community engagement. Night shooting and advanced camera identification empower volunteer actions.

Planta

You’ll adore Planta’s personalized care reminders that nurture your green thumb.

• Identifies plants from photos
• Sends care reminders
• Calendar view of tasks
• Personalized watering tips
• Pest and disease solutions

With its vast plant database, custom care schedule, and intuitive design, Planta equips you to nurture your indoor and outdoor plants successfully. Leaf identification and seasonal care tips guide you in providing what each plant needs to thrive.

Planta’s personalized approach fosters plant parenthood and empowers your green thumb.

Leafsnap

Leafsnap offers basic and advanced plant identification, along with diagnostics, though its lackluster interface frustrated some testers. The smartphone landscape mode allows users to identify plants by simply taking a photo of a leaf.

Augmented reality tags then provide information about the plant species. While the digital herbarium and crowdsourced educational content seem promising, testers found the app’s interface somewhat clunky and unintuitive compared to others.

GardenAnswers

You’ve got to check out GardenAnswers for quick plant identification and care tips from gardening experts. As a master gardener, I’m impressed by the extensive horticultural information and plant cultivation guidance available in the GardenAnswers app.

The plant care tips and growth guidance empower users to properly prune, compost, manage pests, and enrich soil for thriving perennial plants.

INaturalist

You’re going to love exploring and sharing discoveries with iNaturalist’s global community of scientists and naturalists. Engage in community science, eco-tracking, and nature mapping, contributing to wildlife observations and conservation projects.

Benefit from its accurate plant identification for biodiversity monitoring, including spotting invasive species. Connect with a network passionate about local biodiversity, advancing biodiversity science together.

Pl

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The lush leaves and delicate pink blooms evoke visions of Victorian elegance as this African violet revives from shipping trauma to reward your patient care. Despite arriving with wilted leaves and spilled soil, it has recovered beautifully with proper watering and indirect sunlight, blooming abundant double pink flowers.

This resilient African violet is lovely in a hanging basket or potted arrangement, delivering joy when cared for properly.

PictureThis

You’ll enjoy PictureThis for quick, accurate plant identification.

1. 98% accuracy
2. Massive database
3. Image recognition
4. Cultivation tips
5. Subscription pricing

PictureThis impresses with its speed, vast plant knowledge, and helpful features. As you snap photos, it quickly identifies thousands of species with 98% accuracy. An enormous plant database fuels its image recognition, supporting identification in multiple languages.

You’ll get cultivation advice to grow thriving, healthy plants. But be aware of subscription pricing after an initial trial period.

Plantix

Got pests? Snap pics of afflicted plants with Plantix and let its smart image recognition identify issues and suggest treatments! This AI-powered app diagnoses over 400 plant diseases, pests, nutrient deficiencies, and more from just a photo.

Pl: Ease of Use

You’d find PictureThis incredibly simple to use for identifying plants.

• Intuitive user interface
• High-resolution photo capability
• Social sharing of observations
• Detailed plant care instructions
• Responsive customer support

  Whether you’re a beginner plant parent or an expert horticulturist, PictureThis makes identifying houseplants and outdoor species a breeze with its interactive plant and flower identification and accurate species classification. With its clean design and helpful features, PictureThis aims to create a welcoming plant identification experience for all.

Google Lens: Speed

With Google Lens, you can identify plants in seconds by simply taking a photo. The visual search technology enables near-instantaneous results, empowering even novice gardeners with a green thumb. Just open the Google app, tap the Lens icon, and point your camera at any plant to scan it.

Google will rapidly analyze the image, match visual patterns, and return accurate identifications along with helpful information.

For an amateur botanist or horticulturist, it’s incredibly useful for identifying that perfect flower, diagnosing plant problems, or avoiding poisonous varieties. With its unparalleled speed, Google Lens transforms your phone into an instant expert on flora, allowing you to quickly satisfy your curiosity.

PictureThis: Cultivation Tips

PictureThis provides green thumb novices cultivation guidance alongside identifications.

Remember to give your African violet houseplant regular misting and avoid direct sunlight.

Feed your Birds Nest Fern weekly plant food and repot it in a larger container as it grows. This low-maintenance tropical plant is foolproof with PictureThis cultivation advice.

Continually harvest your Peperomia as an annual herb to encourage new growth. The crop doctor in PictureThis provides great horticultural advice for nature lovers.

The plant identifier PictureThis equips anyone to confidently care for their indoor garden with the tap of a button.

African Violet Houseplant

You could charm your friends with that pretty pink African Violet houseplant from Hirts Gardens. Give this delicate violet moderate moisture and indirect sunlight to keep its soil evenly moist. Water when the top inch of soil is dry and mist leaves often for humidity. Propagate new plants from leaves or by dividing the roots.

With the right care, your African Violet will reward you with abundant blooms to enjoy.

Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra Elatior)

The hardy Cast Iron Plant thrives with just 18-24 inches of growth. This undemanding evergreen perennial emerges sturdy and leafy from the soil, spreading slowly through rhizome roots. Position its shiny dark foliage in low to bright indirect light and water sparingly for a no-fuss houseplant.

Hardy and resilient, it serves families by purifying indoor air while repelling pesky fungus gnats. Let its fortitude inspire your own as you cultivate meaning through caring for living things. Propagate new plants to share this Victorian era heirloom. Like a steadfast friend, it generously enhances well-being.

Costa Farms Birds Nest Fern

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Y’all’d love watchin’ this graceful fern from Costa Farms unfurl its lacy fronds in your sunny window.

Shielded from the hottest sun, it’ll thrive with just occasional waterin’. Full yet airy, this li’l 15-inch fern makes a mighty fine houseplant. Care for it proper and in time its cascadin’ fronds’ll grow full as a country picnic.

Perk up your place with a living bit of natural beauty.

Sedum Burrito Burros Tail Succulent Plant Pot

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Despite its rough delivery, this beloved exotic succulent amazingly survived shipping across state lines to delight its new owner. The hardy Sedum Burrito remains a recommended purchase, overcoming both poor labeling and fragile sprouts to thrive in its new home.

Its exotic nature provides an exciting addition to any indoor collection, while its resilience showcases the strength of this species. With simple basic care, this desert plant continues to grow into a beautifully unique decoration.

Purple Orchid White Ceramic Plant Gift

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You’ll fall in love with the elegant white orchid’s vibrant purple blooms, which last months to brighten your home and heart. This gorgeous Phalaenopsis orchid adds a burst of color to any space with its stunning purple flowers that can rebloom annually.

As an expert in botany and horticulture, I can confirm this orchid blooms reliably when given proper care.

The innovative packaging ensures safe shipping, so your beautiful orchid will arrive ready to thrive. Growing orchids connects us to the joy of nature’s beauty and reminds us that all living things need care.

With its lovely flowers and the satisfaction of nurturing its growth, this orchid is sure to delight.

Victorian Parlor Palm Plant Six Inch Pot

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You’ve got a historical gem with this Victorian parlor palm. Commonly prized since the Victorian era for its resilience, this elegant palm tolerates low light, droughts, and general neglect while adding graceful style to any indoor space.

Growing in a convenient 6-inch pot, it takes up little space on tables or shelves while providing a meaningful flourish.

With delicate fronds atop a single brown trunk, it looks especially lovely grouped with other plants, yet also shines solo. Just mind the gentle handling it deserves for its delicate nature when watering or moving it.

Though slow-growing, its low maintenance needs make it an easy addition to your indoor jungle.

Peperomia Obtusifolia Live Plant

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With admiration, you’ll cherish your peperomia’s resilience as it flourishes in your home. This air-purifying peperomia will become your indoor oasis, its vibrant green leaves brightening any corner you place it in.

Though small, the four-inch pot allows months of steady growth before repotting needs arise.

New sprouts will unfurl as it adapts and recovers from shipping’s unavoidable stresses, needing only moderate watering to persevere. You’ll watch in quiet awe as it transforms, adjusting to its environment. A gift to yourself, its tranquil presence will fill your spirit each time you pause to care for it.

Echeveria Succulents Live Plants Pack Potted Indoor Wedding Favors

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You’d adore having these delightful Echeveria succulents livening up your home or garden with their unique rosette shapes and colors. Hand-selected and grown with care, these petite plants arrive in 3.5 pots, fully rooted in soil.

Although an occasional defect may arise, proper basic care helps them continue thriving.

Many varieties prefer partial shade and protection from temperature extremes. They are low maintenance yet bursting with charm, making them great gifts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)