7 Best Plant Recognition App for Android 2022

Pl@ntNet (or PlantNet) is a free, fully collaborative plant recognition software. Every time you take a picture of a plant, you enrich the database, which already includes more than 23,000 plant species (if we compare this number to the 360,000 species that live on Earth, we know there is still a long way to go).
The app is easy to use: just tap on the little camera to activate the camera. Once you have taken your photo, you must enter the side of the plant: leaf, flower, fruit, bark, whole plant. Once done, you can access the results page.

Other available features include:

• Your own guide where you can stock up on your favorite plants and finds.
• A search tool that gives you access to the entire database. Plants can be sorted by family, genus, and species.
• Possibility to create or join interest groups (eg cactus plants, edible plants, French plants, etc.) and group plants from a specific geographic area.

2 – Seek. program

Like PlantNet, Seek is completely free. The plant identification program was developed by iNaturalist, following an initiative of the California Academy of Sciences in partnership with the National Geographic Society. The goal is to allow as many people as possible to discover the biodiversity of plants and animals. For this, Seek praises us for the advantages of the image recognition technology, which is supposed to shine through its performance. Unfortunately, the results in this aspect are not very conclusive, especially when compared to PlantNet.The positive point is that all image recognition gives access to a descriptive sheet of the species involved. You will find its Latin name, the date when it was first discovered, a map of its geographical location, its classification (classification) by kingdom, family, genus… as well as similar species and plant cycle according to the seasons.

Another good point: the fun side of the app. Each time you select a new species (eg: spider, plant, slugs, etc.), you get a new badge and advance, which allows you to pass levels (starting from the tadpole level). In addition, Seek offers monthly challenges, which consist in successfully finding plants or animals of the same family or genus. What better way to learn about biodiversity while having fun!

3 – PictureThis

PictureThis is an invaluable plant recognition software for anyone who grows plants and gardens. With 70 million users worldwide, the app has established itself as an essential plant recognition tool. As obvious as this is, this has nothing to do with chance or well-designed marketing PictureThis has real assets to spare.

Starting with its own identification system PictureThis is capable of recognizing more than 17,000 species of plants with an accuracy of 98%, which is a pretty impressive performance. You can choose to select (one image) to save time, or choose to select 360, by taking the same plant from different angles (what they call “360 degrees”), you increase your chances of successfully identifying the plant.

The information provided about each plant is very complete, and it means something: each sheet contains a description with pictures, characteristics of the plant (type, flowering period, diameter, color(s), etc.), advice from professionals, information on requirements for its maintenance, diseases and parasites that You may experience a lot of advantages.

4 – Plantsnap

Plantsnap prides itself on its ability to identify more than 600,000 species of plants. It works like other plant identifiers, using the plant identification system through your phone’s camera. Simply take a snapshot of the plant and Plantsnap will find its name. It is also possible to activate the auto-detection option for more responsiveness. In short, the identification system is fairly classic and similar to what can be found in other plant identification apps, you can also select a snapshot directly from your phone’s folders.Where Plansnap stands out from other apps of the same type is its Explorer tool and its community of 50 million users. After activating geolocation, the map will allow you to identify interesting plant areas around you (gardens, indigenous specimens, etc.). However, it will be necessary to wait until the application becomes better known so that the points of interest multiply.

As for the Plansnappers community, it allows you to share your favorite photos and discoveries with your friends, view photos and posts of rare plants, flowers, trees, leaves, cacti, air plants, mushrooms from around the world, and share gardening. and tips.

Clés de forêt is the National Forestry Office, better known as the ONF. Target ? Enhancing the biodiversity that makes up the French forests in a fun way. Here, then, there is no artificial intelligence doing the work for you, but a questionnaire that teaches you how to use your brain to better distinguish between species. Thus, if you want to know the name of the tree, you will have to answer several questions about what you see: the shape of the leaves, their size, the way they are arranged, etc.Note that through the application it is also possible to identify animal species, whether they are birds of prey or mammals. For the latter, it works by analyzing the footprints: thus you will be able to learn to identify the species around you by looking at the characteristics of the footprints they have left. Each species is accompanied by a description sheet that gives a presentation on the species, its life expectancy, its appearance, the areas in which it is found, its therapeutic use… allows you to learn a real fun about that plant (or animal). It is also possible to go directly to the list section to find all types listed by ONF.

As a bonus, the app allows the user to progress to access the “secrets” of the forest. To do this, you have to select several types, but also answer short quizzes, which allow you to test your knowledge in the form of a game. This is an excellent way to get kids (as well as adults) interested in biodiversity.

Flora Incognita is a plant identification software created in support of a large scientific project aimed at mapping the flora of Central Europe. The application was developed with the impetus of the Technical University of Ilmenau and the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Jena. Its development was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funding from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, the Thuringian Ministry of Environment, Energy and Nature Conservation, as well as by the Thuringian Nature Conservancy. The project has been recognized as an official project of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity.

As a result, the application benefits from a certain accuracy in the recognition system that is not found in other applications. To select a species, you must first determine the type of plant (wildflower, shrub, tree, grass, fern) and take pictures from different angles. For example, for a wildflower, you should depict the top of the flower, the top of the leaf, the side of the flower, the entire plant, and the fruit. Your geographical location is taken into account. This way, you get results that leave no room for error. On the other hand, indoor plants (which often come from exotic countries) are difficult to identify.

In continuity with this scientific rigor on Flora Incognita, the descriptive papers of each species are no exception to the rule. It contains comprehensive information, such as:

• Several pictures of species
• Classification (Gender, Family)
• Its scientific name is in Latin
• Its main characteristics
• Very accurate visual description of the species
• Its use (edible, medicinal, commercial uses, etc.)
• A map of the planet to visualize the areas where the species has been seen.
• Curve indicating the number of times a species was observed during the year.
• Wikipedia link for more information about the plant.

NatureID defines itself as a smart assistant rather than a simple plant identification software. It aims to help you take care of your plants, by providing maintenance tips adapted to each species and according to their individual characteristics. These how-to articles will supplement the information for those who want to learn more about the world of plants and gardening. In addition, a diagnostic tool is at your disposal to identify diseases affecting a plant and get advice on how to solve the problem. Unfortunately, we were unable to test this feature because the tool was not working at the time of testing.The recognition system is fast and efficient. Other apps often suffer from the slowness problem, but with NatureID, identification takes place within 2 to 3 seconds max. As for whether the app can actually recognize more than 10,000 species, it’s hard to be able to check ourselves. Note that the app is also capable of recognizing flowers and trees.

As a bonus, if you have any questions about your plants or your gardening, you can contact a professional botanist by email. The only problem: it will cost you almost 10 euros per consultation! Alternatively, you can opt for the “Three Consultations” package at €24.99.