Plant identification is a critical process that helps you to recognise different plant species. It ensures you do not confuse between two plants when you look at them closely.
But in some cases, a close inspection may not be enough to identify a plant with an untrained eye. For example, can you tell the difference between kenaf and cannabis when you come across either plant?
That task may not be easy for most people. Luckily, you can use the best plant recognition apps to get more information about a specific plant.
These apps use artificial intelligence algorithms to identify different plant species. The only thing you need to do is take crisp and clear photos of the leaves or flowers.
Once you upload the picture, the algorithm will scan it and help you name the plant within seconds. You will know what plant you have and read more about it. Furthermore, some apps can give you tips on how to take care of the plant or identify the disease affecting it.
The best plant identification apps for Android and iOS in 2022
Here are ten of the best plant identification apps to download.
1. Blossom
Image: Google Play
Blossom is a plant identification app that allows you to identify plants, succulents, flowers. It can also identify trees by photo. The app also gives you a guide on how to take care of the plant you have classified.
Even better, it has a feature that allows you to set timely reminders of watering your greenery. It can also help you to discover the best way of fertilising your flowers and plants.
To use Blossom, simply snap a picture of a plant. The app will give you a detailed description of the plant to learn more about it.
It will identify over 10,000 plants by photo or name. It will also provide more information about the features of the plant and caring instructions.
2. Flora Incognita
Image: Google Play
Flora Incognita is a free plant identification app for Android and iOS devices. It enables you to identify plants automatically, quickly, easily, and accurately regardless of your location.
Its identification process is easy. You will only have to take a picture of the flower or leaf using your smartphone camera. The app will scan the photo and identify the plant within seconds.
After the identification, you will get information like plant species name, characteristics, distribution, and protection status. Also, the app will allow you to save, export, or share your observations with an online community.
Flora Incognita can identify over 4,800 plant species. It also has more than 10,000 photos of the European flora. However, it cannot recognise ornamental and indoor plants and does not support the array of breeding and crossing of garden plants.
3. FlowerChecker
Image: App Store
FlowerChecker is one of the best plant identification services that make use of your phone’s camera. Unlike other applications that identify apps through in-built databases, FlowerChecker uses a team of experts to get you the information you seek.
When you snap a picture of an unknown plant and upload it, an expert will help you identify the species. That ensures you get accurate information about the plant.
However, the service is only free for the first photo you provide. You will have to pay $1 for each image you upload. If the experts are unable to give you answers, you will get your money back.
The advantage is the service is 95% accurate. FlowerChecker is available for iOS and Android devices.
4. Garden Answers Plant Identifier
Image: App Store
Garden Answers Plant Identifier is an app that lets you identify over 20,000 plants from any location. It gives you an accurate description of the plant, including its taxonomy and characteristics.
You can use the plant identifier to determine whether the flower in your garden is harmful to humans or pets.
Garden Answers Plant Identifier has a simple interface that is also easy to use. It will identify almost any plant within seconds.
If you do not have a photo, you can use its keyword searchable database to find more information about a plant. Also, you can save your favourite matches in a folder for future reference.
The app is free to use and is available for both Android and iOS devices.
5. iNaturalist
Image: iNaturalist
iNaturalist is a nature app that helps you identify the plants and animals around you. It has a community of over 400,000 scientists and naturalists who help users learn more about nature.
You can use the application to discover new species from any location. Also, you can record your observations and share them with others.
iNaturalist gives you suggestions and crowdsourced identifications of the plants you have seen. You can also discuss with others or help identify the plants they have encountered.
When you record and share your observations, the app allows you to create research-quality data for people working to understand and protect nature.
INaturalist can also be used to identify plants offline.
6. iPlant
Image: App Store
iPlant is an iOS app that will identify plants accurately within seconds of providing your picture. The app uses artificial intelligence to recognise plants and flowers around you.
You can use it by shooting a picture of a plant or selecting a plant image from your mobile phone. Once done, the app will give you all the information you require about it.
Also, iPlant has a gallery for identifying plants. Users can import pictures into the application to identify as many plant species as possible within minutes.
You can save your identified plants into a folder to ensure a quick search when you want to reference them in the future.
Download for: iOS
7. Plant Identification ++
Image: App Store
Plant Identification ++ is a free plant identification app for iOS devices that allows you to recognise a plant from a photo. You can take a picture using your phone camera or pick from a photo library to identify a plant.
The app can identify tens of thousands of plants, flowers, leaves, and trees. It uses artificial intelligence to ensure you are getting accurate information.
Plant Identification++ also has a database of plants to make it easier for you to search for a specific species. It has a simple interface that will suggest a list of possible plants based on the photo you provide.
You will get to know more details about the plant and even check your identification history. Also, you can share your findings with your friends and get plant care tips.
Download for: iOS
8. Plant Story
Image: Google Play
Plant Story is a plant identifier and gardening app. It is a tool that allows you to identify plants in your garden using pictures.
The app shows you information about the plant, including its common name, botanical or scientific name, and its benefits. Furthermore, it will identify thousands of plants, flowers, and trees instantly using advanced artificial intelligence.
It also contains a database of plant names and images, which is accessible anytime. If you are a gardener, Plant Story gives you gardening tips.
You can use it to get watering and fertilising reminders, a sunshine guide, and how to grow specific plants. The application allows you to explore your crops on the map and get suggestions of possible plants based on your photos.
9. Plantyx
Image: App Store
Plantyx is one of the best plant identification apps for iOS devices. The application allows you to identify over 10,000 plants using your smartphone.
An advantage of using Plantyx is it is 95% accurate. You can use both saved and newly snapped photos to get a detailed description of every plant you provide.
You will have to focus your phone camera on a tree, bush, or flower and then take a picture. Just make sure that it is clear enough otherwise you won’t get accurate information.
Plantyx stores your search history to give you easy access to the information you need. The app is available on a free trial.
Download for: iOS
10. Seek by iNaturalist
Image: Google Play
Seek by iNaturalist is one of the best plant identification apps, for a good reason. It uses image recognition technology to recognise the various plants and animals around you.
The application draws from thousands of observations to show you the list of commonly recorded plants. You can use it to scan the environment to identify organisms unknown to you.
The app also allows you to add different species to your observations. You will learn more about them while exploring nature at the same time.
Seek by iNaturalist is also a community application. When you upload an image, you earn a badge and participate in challenges.
An advantage of using the app is it does not require any registration for users above 13 years old. However, it requires location permissions to work well.
Conclusion
If you are looking for the best plant identification apps, consider downloading Blossom, Flora Incognita, FlowerChecker, iNaturalist, iPkant, Seek by iNaturalist, and Garden Answers Plant Identifier.
The apps will allow you to identify a plant by taking a photo using your mobile camera. You will get a detailed description of the plant, including its common name and scientific name.
Also, some apps will show you how to take care of the plant or identify diseases that may affect it.
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IW’s Chief Editor and a lover of green spaces.