Nowadays, people choose different hobbies: some people choose computer games, some people choose sports, and some people prefer to spend time in nature or devote time to breeding houseplants. But what if you are just at the beginning of your journey and don’t even know what plants you have at home? If you’re not a gardener, you’re probably wondering what diseases your indoor flower can get and how to properly care for it.
Technology does not stand still, and while someone is actively implementing artificial intelligence and all its charms in their work. Others use all possible gadgets and automated tools to simplify work and life issues. Ordinary users can also simplify their lives using just their iPhone! So, how do you do it when it comes to caring for your plants? Very simple, all you need to do is download a plant identification app. In this article, you will find a whole ranking of the best plant identifier app for iPhone.
How plant identification applications work
There are two type of schemas in which plant identification apps works
- The first type of such applications uses image recognition software that relies on algorithms and artificial intelligence to identify plants. The speed of recognition is tremendous. In order to know which flower is in front of you, you need to take a picture of it and upload it to the app. Sometimes the app may ask you to upload photos of leaves and answer additional questions about the colour and shape of leaves or flowers. The main thing: you need to take a photo in good quality and with good lighting. You will also sometimes need to answer questions about the origin of the plant and what kind of seeds it has.
- The second type of plant and flower recognition apps is based on identification using a human resource. Recognition is done this way by sending photos, but here other, more experienced users will be looking at your flower. The speed is certainly not as fast, but you will get information from other owners of plants of the same species. Other gardeners can also give you some advice on how to treat diseases or how to care for this type of plant.
Plant identification apps not only have recognition features, but also differ from each other with many additional features. Below, we’ll have a look at various apps that help you recognise plants and flowers, as well as learn about the additional features of such apps available to install on your iPhone.
PLNT app
The app recognises any plant with 98.7% accuracy, besides giving not only its name, but also full information about it. By searching, you can find information about species and types of plants and flowers. PLNT has the following features:
- The Plant Doctor feature helps you find the right treatment for your flower. The app shares data about flower diseases, even which diseases are specific to a particular plant.
- The app has its own virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence, so you can always ask questions and get quick answers.
- Room Light Sensor. With PLNT, you can determine the optimal lighting conditions for the health of your plants.
- The app also reminds you when to water a flower or when to add fertiliser with the Care Tasks feature.
- Watering calculator. You can use it to calculate how many millilitres your flower needs.
- The app works and recognises flowers based on artificial intelligence. Sometimes the app may ask you to take photos of the flower’s leaves, for example, to increase the chance of correct recognition.
- The app has its own “Blog” section where you can find useful articles about indoor and garden plants and their care.
PlantNet app
To recognise a plant in PlantNet, you need to tap on the camera icon at the bottom of the screen and take a photo or upload a photo. The app will then ask you to specify which part of the plant is shown in the photo: a leaf, a flower, or the whole plant. After a short download, the app will offer you several plant options, from which it’s easy to identify your particular flower based on the image prompts. PlantNet also has the following features:
- Recognising not only indoor plants but also garden trees from leaf photos.
- A large flora database that is categorised by group. It stores useful plants, weeds, and species whose spread threatens biodiversity.
- Also, you can find a lot of information regarding plan care and its background.
iNaturalist app
The iNaturalist app identifies plants, trees, mushrooms, insects, and even animals by photo. The developers warn that there is no information about whether the mushrooms are edible in the app. The app is powered by artificial intelligence and has the following features:
- Recognising not only plants, but also other types of flora and fauna.
- Recognising animals by sounds.
- A database of plants and animals where you can read a lot of useful information about your flower.
Flora Incognita
Flora Incognita helps you recognise not only indoor plants, but also identify a wildflower or a bush, tree, grass. The app has few functions:
- Recognition is highly accurate.
- The app’s catalogue contains more than 4,800 wild plants.
- Recognition not only of plants from the windowsill, but also weeds and field plants, which will help you if you like to spend time in nature.
To sum up, there are many plant recognition apps for your iPhone and these apps are multifunctional. The principle of their work differs, and depending on the principle of work, the efficiency of plant recognition also differs. The functionality of such applications is also different: in some you will find a lot of information about plants, some recognise not only plants, but also fungi, lichens or mosses, and some help to treat diseases and give a lot of advice on how to care for flowers. In any case, it is up to you to choose a particular app based on your interests and goals for using the app.