Identifying plants is a fun and informative practice.
You may stumble upon a certain plant in the garden or wish to be a plant parent but don’t know anything about the plant you like.
Instead of searching the internet for the plant’s name by description, you can use plant identification apps that provide details about it with a single picture.
Not only do they provide the name of the plant, but they also give more details about it and professional care tips for home plants.
We previously covered apps that identify plants with the internet. But they are only useful if you have an internet connection.
Here are a few free offline plant identification apps for iOS and Android devices.
1. PlantNet
PlantNet offline is a plant identification app and website that helps you identify plants in different locations.
The app is powered by professional scientists worldwide who gather and analyze all the photos taken to provide identification and information.
The app helps you understand flora and fauna, such as flowering plants, cacti, vines, ferns, trees, and grass.
The app’s database has about 20,000 plant species, which is still helpful to beginners and plant lovers.
However, it’s important to note that the clearer the picture, the more accurate the information you’ll receive regarding the plant under observation.
How to use PlantNet
- Take a photo of the plant using the camera icon on the app’s bottom navigation menu.
- A page should pop up with information and features that help you identify plants, such as their family, genus name, common name, and extinction status.
- Using visual recognition software, tap the small gallery icon next to the camera icon to identify plants from photographs.
You can also record, share, or make your findings public by logging in to your account.
Useful features of PlantNet Plant Identification
- Fast and accurate information: It provides a quick and accurate way to identify plants without interruption from annoying ads. However, it provides less background information about plants than other paid apps. It’s also a beneficial tool if you’re a gardener or a fan of plants and nature.
- Free and offline: It’s one of the few plant identification apps that work offline and doesn’t have ads. You can also use PlantNet without logging in, and if you do log in, it doesn’t share your personal information with third parties, though it shares your observations for research purposes.
- Unique and user-friendly features: PlantNet is user-friendly for both adults and children. It also has many features identifying plants, flowers, and tree species within seconds. Furthermore, its enormous database has information on more than 20,000 types of flowering and non-flowering plants, trees, grass, ferns, conifers, cacti, and wild plants.
2. iNaturalist
iNaturalist is another offline plant identification app and website that records plant observations.
The app was created in 2008 and is trusted by students, botanists, scientists, and academics.
Expert scientists, researchers, and nature enthusiasts who confirm or dispute flora and fauna identification contribute to its global dataset.
How to use iNaturalist
- Tap the camera icon on the app’s bottom navigation bar, where there’s an option to find the plant by name or photo.
- If you don’t know the plant’s name, you can take a picture or upload an existing image from your phone.
- From there, you can tap on “View Suggestions” to view people’s suggestions gathered by the app.
Useful features of iNaturalist
- Accurate information from AI and the iNaturalist community: The app uses the iNaturalist Artificial Intelligence to suggest possible plant identifications from your uploaded media. The iNaturalist community then works together to confirm the identifications. From the observations, you can get suggestions from other iNaturalist members, professional researchers, and fellow nature enthusiasts or naturalists.
- Offline with sharing features: You can identify plants offline without Wi-Fi or an internet connection. It also has sharing features for those who want to combine or compare observations with other users.
3. PlantSnap
PlantSnap is a plant identification app with a big database of 600,000+ recorded plants and identifies 90% of plant species worldwide.
The app is also advantageous to other apps as it offers results and information in 37 languages. It poses as a plant identifier by picture as it helps you identify mushrooms, cacti, flowers, and trees in seconds.
How to use PlantSnap
The app uses a deep learning algorithm to identify photos of any plant and provide detailed information about it using a photo.
You can also search for the name of a plant on the “Search” option, where you will get a picture of it and more information about its species type.
Useful features of PlantSnap
- It can be used offline: The app can identify plants without an internet connection. It also has a database of more than 585,000 plant species, making the chances of you getting a match to the plant high.
- Search option: PlantSnap has a Search option to find details about any plant, mushroom, flower, or succulent you can find. The information about the plant is in detail and easy to understand.
Offline plant identification apps help one gain insight and knowledge about a plant, tree, or flower and get expert advice from researchers, scientists, and nature enthusiasts.
However, the apps vary depending on their features and plant database. Therefore, choose one that suits you best and make plant identification fun and educative.
IW’s Chief Editor and a lover of green spaces.