There is a commonly uttered phrase regarding mobile applications or apps, as they are typically called. That phrase is, “There’s an app for that.” Indeed, that phrase is becoming increasingly accurate. As of the first part of 2020, Google Play Store offered 2.56 million apps, and Apple’s App store carried almost 1.85 million apps.
What is an app? An app is a software application designed to run on a mobile device. Apps give users a personalized experience in a faster, more efficient way than a website does. It should come as no surprise that there are now apps for gardening, nature and plant identification.
There are many apps on these topics to choose from, making it difficult to find the right one. We decided to delve into the world of apps by taking some for a test drive.
With our partiality for flowers and plants, we decided to give some of these apps a chance…
SmartPlant
With three different versions, the opportunity to chat with experts and a database that boasts 20,000 plants, SmartPlant ranges from free to $3.99 monthly premium. They also offer a cheaper version with two photo submissions per month.
For the free version, you can access the full library, one plant ID and one question answered by the experts per month. Take a photo and find out the identification of a plant or flower. The premium includes unlimited water and care requirements and identification of pests and plants. This app also features a digital garden that is a care calendar.
LeafSnap
Identifying plants by their leaves is a snap when you use an app like LeafSnap. Developed by the University of Maryland, the Smithsonian Institute and Columbia University, this app has the distinction of being used by the Natural History Museum.
Plant species are identified by their leaves, and this app can identify about 90 percent of all known species of leaves and plants. The free version has ads, and the premium version does not. The large database with advanced artificial intelligence recognizes common plants from a photo containing any part of the plant like the leaves, flower, fruit or even tree bark.
PlantNet
With PlantNet, a photo holds the key to unlocking the mystery of a plant. The app can currently recognize more than 20,000 different species. The plant can be identified from its leaves, flowers, fruit, bark or other parts of it.
The plant database may sound small compared to some, but it is constantly growing from worldwide contributions. It can recognize both wild plants that are a bit more mysterious and common houseplants, trees, flowers and vegetables.
The app also links to fact sheets, observations and data cataloged by experience. Best of all, it is free and ad-free.
Plantifier
A social app for the plant-loving masses, Plantifier uses regular people as contributors to help with plant identification. Upload a photo of the unknown plant to the free crowd-sourced app community and let users guide you. They can also assist with gardening tips and tracking the growth of your flowers and plants.
FlowerChecker
Flowerchecker has a team of experts waiting to receive a photo of a plant to analyze and identify. The human element means it may take some time, but FlowerChecker claims that 50 percent of responses occur within an hour.
There is a small fee charged for each ID. The first three are complimentary. If no ID is made, no charge occurs.
PlantSnao
Identifying plants is a snap with the PlantSnap app, as it features a huge database and artificial intelligence capable of delivering expedient results. The app is purported to identify over 625,000 plants, trees and mushrooms.
Install the app, snap a picture and quickly identify the plant, flower, mushroom, etc. This plant app has also partnered with trees.org and plants new trees each time users share photos. They have already planted over 10,000 new trees throughout the world.
This app has a free and premium version. The free version allows 25 pictures to be taken and uploaded and contains ads. The premium version removes the ads and the pic limit and gives access to premium support. They even have an affordable lifetime version.
GoogleLens
GoogleLens may already be stored on your phone, and if it isn’t, it is pretty simple to install it from the Google Play Store. This app uses the power of Google images to properly identify plants, objects, text and more from a photo.
When it comes to plant apps, may databases vary, but can any come close to Google? The app is free and very powerful. It will give you the ID of the plant you take a picture of, but you may need to search for more information. How hard is it to search when you have Google?
The huge database is constantly updated and improved, and this app can do more than help you with plants. It is worth looking into Google Lens.
PictureThis
A highly rated social app, PictureThis calls itself a botanist in your pocket and utilizes advanced artificial intelligence to identify over 27 million submissions with 99 percent accuracy. This app can also distinguish 10,000 species.
This app also celebrates an interactive community of plant enthusiasts and willing to help one another learn more. The free subscription contains ads and a limited number of pics, but the premium subscription allows unlimited submissions, includes care tips, reminders, wallpapers and no distracting ads.
This app does offer a free seven-day trial and the care tips include watering and pest control advice. However, the subscription automatically begins after the seven days, so pay attention to the deadline if it isn’t something you want to keep.
Apps can be incredibly helpful for identifying flowers, plants and trees and even getting advice regarding care from a community of plant enthusiasts. If you are thinking of getting into gardening, an app may be the way to go.
When choosing flowers, apps can be helpful, but your best resource is your local florist. We are always glad to discuss options for bouquets and arrangements for all occasions. Feel free to reach out to our florists at My Bloomin' Flower Shop serving areas around Keller, TX to help you find the right flowers to coincide with any occasion.