The 10 best gardening apps to identify unknown plants and flowers

best gardening apps identify plants flowers uk 2021
Birdsfoot Trefoil might be a flower you can't recognise - but did you know there's an app for that? Credit: Alamy

There are hundreds of thousands of different plant and flower varieties in the world, meaning it takes a special kind of knowledge to tell your Dracula simia (monkey face orchid) from your Rafflesia keithii (corpse flower).

Some of us have been working on our green fingers for a long time, while others are new to the plant community - either way, there's always questions needing answered and tips and tricks to learn. 

Luckily, modern technology has the ability to retain and process databases more comprehensive than any individual could manage alone. With every plant and flower you've ever heard of searchable within seconds, plant identifier apps turn your smartphone from handy to horticulturalist in just a few clicks.

Whether you're looking to quench your thirst for plant and gardening knowledge or searching for answers to care for specific plants, there are a selection of apps with green communities ready to help you out.

So, if you often find yourself wondering about the wild wonders populating the world around you, here is our list of the best plant identifying apps currently available:

1. PlantSnap

The PlantSnap app makes identifying and buying plants a doddle. First take a photograph of the plant, then the app will do its best to recognise it.  Once recognised, it will give details of name, care information and even where/when it must be planted. Here's the clever bit... once you've found out what your mystery plant is, you can then buy it through the app from one of their HTA certified nurseries.  The PlantSnap app is available from Android and Apple.

2. FlowerChecker

The FlowerChecker app uses real botanists to identify unknown plants, moss, fungus and even lichen, perhaps therefore making it the most accurate and specialised of the apps. Available from the App Store and for Android.

3. Plantifier

Available from the App store and for Android, Plantifier employs a team of people from mygarden.org, who help to identify unknown plants.

4. Leafsnap

Developed by the University of Maryland, Smithsonian Institute and Columbia University, Leafsnap identifies tree species from their leaves. For the UK app, Leafsnap has partnered with the Natural History Museum in order to create a bank of images and to help with identifying tricky trees. Available from the App store.

5. iPflanzen

Rather than using photographs to recognise plants/flowers, iPflanzen requires you to enter criteria such as leaf shape or fruit colour in order to figure out the mystery. In conjunction with their other apps - iGarten and iForest - extremely detailed and interesting information can easily be found.

6. Candide

An app for social gardeners, Candide allows users to access gardening tips and advice from those within the green-fingered community. Whether you're new to gardening or a green pro, Candide offers a community for all plant-lovers. Available from both the App and Play store.

7. Garden Compass

Garden Compass not only helps you identify plants, pests and diseases but prompts you with monthly care reminders so you can look after all garden-related needs in one place. It's like having a host of horticulturists in your pocket.

8. LikeThat Garden

LikeThat Garden is a fantastically simple app for identifying plants and butterflies – simply snap a picture of the plant or butterfly in question, and the app will sift through its database to find out what you're looking at, along with a helpful description. Sadly, though, it's only available on Apple iPhones. 

9. Garden Answers Plant Identification

With a database of more than 20,000 different plant species, Garden Answers Plant Identification is the number one gardening app for iPhone and Android. Whether you want to identify a flower growing wild or find out if the plant in your back garden is harmful to children, simply take a photo and upload to the app. And with an FAQ database of over 200,000 questions, it's also a fantastic resource for all manner of horticultural conundrums.

10. NatureGate

Part of the award-winning NatureGate website, this app allows you to identify flowers, birds, butterflies and even fish by noting down the plant or animal's characteristics, and receiving a list of possible species in return. This app has the benefit of allowing you to identify whilst offline, making identifying plants on even the most rural of walks a doddle. 

To browse our selection of plants visit gardenshop.telegraph.co.uk.