Ever found yourself admiring a beautiful plant on a walk and wondering what it is? You’re not alone. Learning how to identify plants is not only fun but also deepens your connection with nature. Here’s a simple, beginner-friendly guide to help you start identifying plants like a pro.
Identifying plants is like unlocking a secret language of nature. Once you start, you’ll notice your surroundings in a whole new way — whether it’s a roadside weed or a rare woodland wildflower. All it takes is curiosity and a little observation.
Whether you’re a gardening enthusiast, a hiker, or just curious about the plants around you, plant identification apps make it easy to learn about flora with just a snap. Here are the 10 plant identification apps for Android and iOS, each offering unique features to help you discover nature’s wonders.
PictureThis – Plant Identifier
[button-green url=”https://apps.apple.com/us/app/picturethis-plant-identifier/id1252497129″ target=”_self” position=”left”]IOS[/button-green]
[button-green url=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cn.danatech.xingseus” target=”_self” position=”left”]Android[/button-green]
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Instant identification with 98% accuracy.
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Extensive plant database with over 10,000 species.
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Care tips & reminders for your plants.
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Community feature to ask experts for help.
Drawback: Free version has limited scans; premium unlocks full features.
PlantNet – Plant Identification
[button-green url=”https://apps.apple.com/us/app/plantnet/id600547573″ target=”_self” position=”left”]IOS[/button-green]
[button-green url=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.plantnet” target=”_self” position=”left”]Android[/button-green]
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Open-source & free (no paid scans).
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Collaborative project—users contribute to the database.
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Covers wild plants, trees, and crops.
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No ads in the basic version.
Drawback: Less user-friendly than some competitors.
iNaturalist (by National Geographic & California Academy of Sciences)
[button-green url=”https://apps.apple.com/us/app/inaturalist-classic/id421397028″ target=”_self” position=”left”]IOS[/button-green]
[button-green url=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.inaturalist.android” target=”_self” position=”left”]Android[/button-green]
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Identifies plants AND animals.
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Community-driven—connects with scientists.
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Great for citizen science projects.
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Completely free with no paywalls.
Drawback: Identification may take longer than dedicated plant apps.
Seek by iNaturalist
[button-green url=”https://apps.apple.com/us/app/seek-by-inaturalist/id1353224144″ target=”_self” position=”left”]IOS[/button-green]
[button-green url=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.inaturalist.seek” target=”_self” position=”left”]Android[/button-green]
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Kid-friendly & educational.
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No registration required.
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Real-time AR identification.
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Earn badges for discovering species.
Drawback: Smaller database than iNaturalist’s main app.
PlantSnap – Identify Plants
[button-green url=”https://apps.apple.com/us/app/plantsnap-plant-identifier/id1451054346″ target=”_self” position=”left”]IOS[/button-green]
[button-green url=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fws.plantsnap2″ target=”_self” position=”left”]Android[/button-green]
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Over 600,000 plants in database.
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Advanced AI recognition.
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Global mapping feature to see nearby plants.
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Supports 37 languages.
Drawback: Free version is very limited; premium is pricey.
LeafSnap – Plant Identification
[button-green url=”https://apps.apple.com/us/app/leafsnap-plant-identification/id1487972880″ target=”_self” position=”left”]IOS[/button-green]
[button-green url=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=plant.identification.snap” target=”_self” position=”left”]Android[/button-green]
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Specializes in tree identification.
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High-quality visual recognition.
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Developed by Columbia University & Smithsonian.
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Free to use.
Drawback: Mostly focused on North American trees.
Flora Incognita – Automated Plant Identification
[button-green url=”https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flora-incognita/id1297860122″ target=”_self” position=”left”]IOS[/button-green]
[button-green url=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.floraincognita.app.floraincognita” target=”_self” position=”left”]Android[/button-green]
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No ads or premium upsells.
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Detailed plant profiles with ecology info.
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Supports offline identification.
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Great for European wild plants.
Drawback: Limited to certain regions.
Final Thoughts
Each of these apps has unique strengths—whether you want quick scans (PictureThis), scientific contributions (iNaturalist), or a free experience (PlantNet). Try a few and see which one fits your plant-identifying needs best!
