Identify the Native and Invasive Plants in Your Yard!

The first step towards becoming a better steward of our watershed is to get to know it better. The good news is that it is easy to start with our own backyards!  The following free and low-cost plant identification apps and websites will start you on the road towards knowing exactly what's growing in your gardens and yards and whether it is native, non-native, or invasive. Getting to know our plant neighbors is a terrific starting point for making your home landscape a healthier place for you, your community, and native wildlife!

PictureThis: This highly rated, easy-to-use app just might be the closest thing possible to having a botanist in your pocket. Simply take a picture of any plant and get instantaneous and accurate information - including plant care tips, literature and fun facts! Note: the free version of this app contains advertisements.

FlowerChecker: ​This app is not free but at just $0.99, its highly accurate results are bound to make it well worth the investment! Upload photos of your mystery plants, moss, fungi or lichen, and an international team of botanists will identify it for you.

NatureGate: This free nature ID website will not only help you identify 700 different species of plants by their flower or leaf structure, it will also help you identify birds, butterflies and fish!

PlantSnap: Download this free app to your mobile device and use it to identify flowers, plants, trees, cacti or mushrooms in a snap!

LeafSnap: Developed by researchers from the Smithsonian, Columbia University and University of Maryland, this free electronic field guide uses visual recognition software to identify trees from leaf photographs.

Pl@ntNet: This is a free app that helps you identify plants with a photograph, and lets you be part of a community science (also called ‘citizen science’) project on plant biodiversity!

We are still building this list, so come back periodically to check for new choices!
You can also send your suggestions by emailing [email protected] or by leaving a message at 503-837-0237. Thank you!