More people than ever are gardening this year, and with new gardeners, there comes mass confusion, especially if you are planting from seeds. It’s not uncommon to see social media posts where someone asks, “Does anyone know what this is?” I admit, discovering my favorite plant identification app was born from that very same question.
When Matt and I moved into our fixer-upper farmhouse a few years ago, it was November. Every tree and branch was devoid of flowers and foliage. However, once spring made its appearance, we quickly learned that it was a puzzle discerning between flowers and weeds. What is that growing in my garden? was a very common question.
Now, the old owners pointed out a few things, so we weren’t at a complete loss. They begged us not to uproot the two lilacs in the front yard. We didn’t because we loved them too. We knew raspberries were growing on one side of the barn along with an apparent meadow of mint. We knew we had four apple trees and a nice grapevine. The rest, however, was a total mystery.
Why I Needed a Plant Identification App
I knew I needed help when seemingly out of nowhere, I spotted a plant in my raspberries that rivaled what Jack must have seen when he came upon his beanstalk. It was tall, it had broad leaves, and it had buds growing on it.
It was also the year when I was so excited at how well my “squash” plant was growing. I even faithfully watered it, until I figured out all I was growing was a prize-winning weed – facepalm! It was time for intervention before we poisoned ourselves by accidentally eating pokeweed berries.
After doing some research, I stumbled upon a plant identification app called PictureThis and the rest is history, friends. Not only did I learn I have a Japanese Meadowsweet bush in front of the barn and some outrageously gorgeous Wild Indigo bushes next to my flower garden and smaller vegetable garden, but I also was able to use it in my vegetable garden to accurately identify Chickweed and Nettle.
Why PictureThis is My Favorite Plant Identification App
- You basically take a photo of a flower or plant with your smartphone and within seconds, you know what it is.
- You can keep a personal gallery of your plants and flowers.
- Not only does the app identify the plant, but it also gives you all kinds of information on them, whether plant or weed.
- It comes in handy on vacations and at visits to area Metroparks to i.d. wildflowers or if we go hiking.
- I now have more confidence in what I can yank out as a weed or move somewhere else if needed. I recently did this with spiderwort.
How to Use the PictureThis App
- Center the camera of your smartphone over the flower or plant in question.
- Take the photo. It takes just a few seconds to make an identification.
- Save the flower or plant in your collections. You’ll be able to find this information under Me on the app.
- Note: the app also adds the photos to your phone photos so you’ll need to delete those you don’t want.
Watch My Video of My Favorite Plant Identification App in Use!
The Mystery Plant Growing in My Raspberries and Mint
I know I can’t leave you hanging. I am guessing seeds were blown in from the fields surrounding our yard or dropped by the many birds patrolling our abode, but that crazy, beanstalk-ish plant I mentioned earlier in this post turned out to be a…
…hollyhock!
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