How to Identify Plants with the PictureThis App

PictureThis identifies any plant from a photo in seconds — helpful for knowing what's growing in your yard, spotting poisonous plants, and learning to garden.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Download PictureThis
2.Photograph a plant
3.Get the identification
4.Read the plant details
5.Diagnose plant health problems

Download PictureThis

~20s

Search for "PictureThis" in the App Store or Google Play. Install the free app. You can use it without creating an account for basic plant identification. If you want to save plant histories and access all features, create a free account.

Quick Tip

iNaturalist is a completely free alternative for plant and wildlife identification, with a strong community of naturalists who verify identifications.

Photograph a plant

~17s

Open PictureThis and tap the camera icon in the center of the screen. Aim your camera at the plant you want to identify. Make sure the plant fills most of the frame and is in focus. For best results, take photos in good light and capture leaves, flowers, or distinctive features clearly.

Get the identification

~15s

After taking the photo, PictureThis analyzes it and displays the plant's name — both the common name and scientific name. It shows a confidence percentage and shows similar plants you might be confusing it with. Tap "Learn More" to see detailed information about the plant.

Read the plant details

~25s

The plant profile includes common names, native region, growing conditions, care instructions (watering, sunlight, soil), and toxicity information. Look for the toxicity warning — this tells you if the plant is harmful to cats, dogs, or humans. This information is especially important for parents, grandparents, and pet owners.

Quick Tip

If a plant is labeled as toxic, take note of which parts are toxic (often the berries or leaves) and whether it's dangerous if touched, ingested, or both.

Diagnose plant health problems

~15s

PictureThis can also diagnose problems with plants you already grow. Take a photo of a plant that looks unhealthy — brown spots, wilting, or discoloration. The app identifies the problem (overwatering, disease, pests, etc.) and suggests treatment. This feature is available in the premium version.

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Identify Plants with the PictureThis App

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PictureThis is a plant identification app that uses your phone's camera to identify plants, flowers, trees, and weeds in seconds. Point your camera at any plant, tap the button, and within a few seconds the app tells you exactly what it is — along with details about care, origin, common uses, and whether it's toxic to pets or people.

The app is accurate for tens of thousands of plant species. It works for flowers in the garden, plants growing in the yard, trees in the neighborhood, houseplants, and wild plants on a hike. It even identifies plants from photos you've already taken — you don't need to be standing in front of the plant.

PictureThis is especially useful for gardeners who receive a plant as a gift and want to know how to care for it, homeowners who want to identify unknown plants growing in their yard (and whether they're weeds or valuable), people who want to know if a plant is safe around pets or children, and anyone curious about nature and plant life.

PictureThis has a basic free version that lets you identify a limited number of plants per day. A premium subscription ($29.99/year or $5.99/month) provides unlimited identifications, a plant care calendar, disease diagnosis, and access to gardening experts.

For most casual users, the free version is sufficient for occasional plant identification.

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