Identify a plant by photo

What plant is this? A roadside flower, a shrub in a neighbor's yard, a houseplant that came without a label: a photo is often enough to put a name to it. Viridia is a plant identifier and care guide in one: it analyzes your photo, suggests the most likely species, then tells you how to care for it.

Your first identification is free, with no account needed, in the app for iPhone and Android.

On a computer? Identify plants in your browser with a free account.

How to identify a plant in 3 steps

1. Take a photo of the plant. Open the app, aim at its most distinctive part — a flower, a leaf laid flat, a fruit — and shoot. You can add several photos of the same plant.
2. Pick from the suggestions. Viridia shows you up to three candidate species, usually with a reference photo, and a confidence level for each. Compare them with your plant.
3. Choose the species and learn how to care for it. Once you've selected a species, you can open its plant page for information on light, watering, hardiness, and potential toxicity. Add it to your garden to get timely care reminders.

How to take a good plant photo

A good photo is key to identifying a plant. These tips apply to any plant identification app:

• One plant per photo. If several plants overlap in the frame, they can be harder to identify.
• Focus on distinctive features. A flower can provide a valuable clue. If there are no flowers, photograph an entire leaf clearly, then the fruit or bark. A photo of the whole plant alone is rarely enough.
• Keep it sharp and close. Move closer, hold your phone steady, and focus on the plant.
• Use good lighting. Take the photo in daylight and avoid backlighting: details are harder to see in a dark photo.
• Several angles. Leaf, flower, fruit, overall shape: these clues can help tell species apart. The app accepts several photos for a single identification.

If your photo is blurry, taken from too far away, too dark, or shows several plants, Viridia lets you know and explains what to fix.

Why you see several suggestions and how to choose

Many plants look alike, especially without flowers. Rather than giving a single answer, Viridia shows several possible species and a confidence level for each: Very likely, Likely, Possible or To confirm. When two independent analysis engines suggest the same species, the result is marked Confirmed ×2. Their agreement supports the suggestion, but doesn't guarantee that the identification is correct.

To decide, compare each species' reference photo with your plant: leaf shape, flower color and structure, and overall shape. If none matches, select “None of these”. You can take a clearer photo or search for the plant by name.

What you get after identification

Putting a name to a plant is just the start. You can then learn about its care and explore Viridia's other features, depending on your account and plan:

• the species page: common and scientific names, light, watering, soil, pruning, hardiness — for example hydrangea, olive tree or monstera;
• “Does it grow here?”: the plant's hardiness compared with your garden's climate;
• available information on its toxicity for children, dogs and cats; the absence of a warning doesn't guarantee that a plant is safe;
• adding it to your garden, with a calendar that reminds you when to water, prune, or harvest;
• a health diagnosis if your plant is struggling with yellow leaves, spots, or drying out. Viridia analyzes the visible signs and suggests possible treatments. The diagnosis is an estimate and isn't included in your first free identification.

Flowers, trees, houseplants, weeds: does it work for everything?

Identification works for wild plants as well as garden plants and houseplants: flowers, trees and shrubs, foliage plants, weeds. The hardest cases are the same for every app: young shoots with no flower or characteristic leaf, and very similar horticultural varieties. For those, add photos as the plant grows.

Put a name to your plant.

Your first identification is free on iPhone and Android, with no account needed.

Identify plants from my computer with a free account.