PlantNet Plant Identification is an education and reference app that allows you to instantly recognize a plant and know more about it. With a simple snapshot using your mobile phone's camera, you will be able to identify and better understand all kinds of plants living in nature.

Although compared to PlantSnap's recognition ability, PlantNet is relatively small as it can only determine about 20,000 species. But the thing with this plant identifier is its entire feature is completely free to utilize. Unlike the mentioned competitor that somehow requires a subscription for extensive usage.

Freshly improved and added functions

Since its release in January 2019, the developers have updated functions and added more features. For instance, it now provides the ability to filter all the recognized species by genus or family. It provides excellent multi-flora identification wherein you can search for your captured plant in all the flora of the application instead of the ones you've selected only.

As stated, you can opt to mark your favorite floras for quicker access. All the shared observations of any user can be re-identified. You can even map out the findings as well. Inside the image gallery, on the other hand, you'll be able to navigate through different taxonomic levels. The freshly enhanced version can also lead you to tons of factsheet links.

PlantNet actually advises its users to give more visual information for more accurate recognition of the plant. Capturing small details such as thorns, buds, or hair on the stem can greatly help to better distinguish two species of the same genus that look almost exactly the same from afar. Taking a shot of the whole plant is also useful but not really sufficient enough.

A plant biodiversity science project

PlantNet encourages many plant lovers to use their application to photograph plants and be part of their citizen science project on plant biodiversity. All the plants you capture will be collected and analyzed by scientists around the world which could enhance people's understanding of its evolution as well as find better and appropriate ways to preserve it.