How to Identify Any Plant With Your Phone (Free, Step by Step)
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This page shows you how to identify a plant with Pl@ntNet on an Android phone, how to take photos that give a better match, and how to judge the results. Google Lens is covered at the end as a quick alternative.
Step by step: identify a plant with Pl@ntNet
Install the app
Get Pl@ntNet from Google Play. It is free, and the listing shows no ads or in-app purchases.
Allow the camera
When asked, allow camera access so you can photograph the plant. You can decide separately whether to share your location.
Choose a flora
Pl@ntNet organises plants into regional collections called floras. Pick the one closest to where you are, or use the option to search across all floras if you are not sure.
Photograph the most telling part
Start with a flower or fruit if the plant has one, then a leaf. Fill the frame with the part you are photographing and keep it in focus.
Tell the app what each photo shows
Pl@ntNet lets you mark which part of the plant each photo shows, such as a leaf, flower, fruit or bark. Adding several photos of the same plant usually improves the result.
Compare the suggestions
You will see a ranked list of likely species with example images. Open the top few and compare their pictures with the plant in front of you, detail by detail.
How to take photos that get a better match
The quality of the photo matters more than anything else. Pl@ntNet's own description says flowers, fruits and leaves are the most characteristic parts of a plant, and that a photo of the whole plant helps but is rarely enough on its own.
- Get close enough that one flower or one leaf fills most of the screen.
- Photograph against a plain background, such as the sky, a wall or your hand, so the app is not confused by other plants.
- Use soft daylight where you can, and avoid harsh shadows across the leaf.
- Take the top and the underside of a leaf, since the underside often carries useful detail.
- Add close-ups of anything unusual: thorns, buds, hairs on the stem, or the way leaves attach.
Reading the results without being fooled
A strong result is one where the top suggestion is clearly ahead and its reference photos match every part you photographed. If the top two or three suggestions are close together, treat the answer as "one of these" rather than a single name.
When results are uncertain, add another photo of a different part of the plant and try again. You can also narrow the answer by family or genus. Pl@ntNet lets you filter suggestions this way, which helps when you already know, for example, that the plant is some kind of daisy.
Share your find and help the project
If you create a free account, you can share an observation with the Pl@ntNet community. Other users review shared observations, and experienced members can confirm or suggest a different name, which is a useful check on your own result.
Your shared photos also feed the scientific side of the project, helping researchers understand where plants grow and how that changes over time. If you prefer to use a computer, Pl@ntNet also has a web version at identify.plantnet.org where you can upload photos.
Using Google Lens instead
If you just want a quick name, Google Lens is often already on your phone. Open the Google app or Google Photos, tap the Lens icon, and point it at the plant or choose a photo you already took. Lens shows visually similar images and links to pages about the plant.
Lens is fast, but it is a general visual search, so check the result the same way: compare the pictures carefully and look up the plant before trusting the name. Using Lens and Pl@ntNet together, and seeing whether they agree, is a simple way to gain confidence.
Common questions
Is Pl@ntNet really free?
Yes. Its Google Play listing shows it as free, with no ads and no in-app purchases. The project is supported by research institutes and accepts donations.
Can a plant app tell me if a plant is safe to eat?
No app result should be used to decide whether to eat a wild plant. Poisonous look-alikes exist, so use the name only as a starting point and rely on expert, in-person advice.
Does it work for houseplants?
It can identify many cultivated plants found in parks and gardens, but its main focus is wild plants. Unusual houseplant varieties may only be matched to their general group.
Why did I get a different answer each time?
Small changes in angle, light and the part of the plant you photograph change what the app sees. Take a sharp close-up of a flower or fruit and add a leaf photo for a steadier result.
Can it identify mushrooms?
No. Mushrooms are fungi, not plants, and Pl@ntNet is built for plants. Never eat a wild mushroom based on a photo identification.