Become your family’s own expert nature guide by using a flower and plant identifier app on your smartphone. Immediately impress anyone by taking a photo of a leaf, flower, plant, or tree and receive instant results that not only identify what you’re looking at but also gives specific information about it. There are a number of plant identifier apps with different features to choose from though, which is why McNamara Florist, Indianapolis’s top florist, put together a list of the best-reviewed and most popular apps for you to choose from.
Popular Plant & Flower Identifier Apps
What’s That Flower?
Instead of uploading a photo, this app asks you questions about the specimen you want to be identified. First, you choose a color, then the region where the flower grows, and then the number of petals on the flower. The app then proffers up a number of different options that fit your description along with detailed information about each one. What’s That Flower has over 600 different types of flowers and it’s easy to get lost scrolling through the images and looking at all of them. There is a free version with ads and a paid version with no ads and additional search criteria.
FlowerChecker
FlowerChecker is unique in that instead of artificial intelligence (AI) being used to identify flowers, your uploaded photo is sent to a team of expert botanists. The developers claim 50% of all identifications are returned in less than an hour, sometimes within minutes, while others may take up to several hours. They also state they can identify more than 90% of all plant species make this app one of the most accurate. Since there is a human element involved, there is a cost of .99 cents for each ID. There is no charge if the team is unable to identify your submission.
PictureThis
PictureThis uses computer algorithms to scan your photo of a plant or flower and identify it for you. It’s easy to use and claims a 99% accuracy rate and has identified over 27 million plants. This app also offers detailed information on each plant with tips on watering, growing, pest control, and more. PictureThis is a subscription-based app but offers a 7-day free trial.
PlantNet
PlantNet is a free app that uses visual recognition software to scan a photo and provide potential matches. It features a wide variety of plants, flowers, fruit, bushes, trees, grasses, and the like. Once you upload a photo, you choose whether it’s of a leaf, stem, fruit, or flower to receive the best results. PlantNet is also a citizen science project since all the plants and flowers submitted are collected and analyzed by experts around the world to better understand and protect plant biodiversity.
More than Just Plant ID Apps
When you want more than just the plants around you identified, choose either NatureGate or iNaturalist to get animals, birds, and even butterflies identified too! And for the wildflower lovers, there are numerous wildflower identification apps for various regions across the U.S.
