RAMGA

presents

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Plant ID: There’s an App for That!

Virtual Plant Clinic

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Saturday, June 18, 2022

11am-12pm

Zoom Reminders

What’s an App?

Definition: In phylogenetics, a single-access key (also called dichotomous key, sequential key, analytical key, or pathway key) is an identification key where the sequence and structure of identification steps is fixed by the author of the key. At each point in the decision process, multiple alternatives are offered, each leading to a result or a further choice…

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What is an App?

Huh? Simply put, an app is a dichotomous key that is built on AI, artificial intelligence, using photos instead of your observations. It does a lot of the work for you.

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Why do we need an App?

So that we don’t have to know all the terms and how to use the graphic and dichotomous keys contained in these books.

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How to choose an App?

• Cost - free, one-time annual cost, some charge by query
• Focus - native plants, garden plants, veggies, professional farmers, etc.
• Privacy concerns - join a group or not?
• Associated plant information - plant care, diseases, insects, etc.
• Ease of use

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Funny - Garden Answers App for Plant Disease says to ask a MG!

Tips for using Apps

• Photos! Good quality, various parts of plant (leaves, flowers, stem), as few other plants in background as possible
• Use multiple Apps - at least two, especially for plants that are commonly confused, mis-identified, or put into broad categories
• Confirm findings for difficult to ID plants with other resources (books, internet, MGs)

LeafSnap

• Cost: $25.99/year or $4.99/month with 3 day free trial
• Free version: available with ads that you have to click out of
• Advantages: claims to ID based solely on leaves
• Extra features: care calendar, task list, more plant information in free version than some other apps

How to Use LeafSnap

Click “Identify,” choose to “take photo” or “upload photo” from your phone (you will need to allow permission to access your photos), choose “type” (leaf, flower, fruit, bark), click “close” on ad if using free version, scroll through result(s).

How to Use LeafSnap

In some cases, you will receive multiple results, with other photos, which you can more closely match your plant to. You can also see more info when you click on the plant name (there will be another ad to close in free version). There is much more info available in this free version than in the free version of PictureThis.

Putting LeafSnap to the Test!

Since “leaf” ID is one of the specific ways to use this app (it’s in the name!), I gathered similar looking leaves (that I already knew) to see if PlantSnap would be able to correctly ID.

1. Asiatic Bittersweet
2. Forsythia
3. Black Cherry

1 2 3

LeafSnap “Leaf” Results

Forsythia* ✔ Bittersweet ✘ Black Cherry ✔ option 4

*These 2 options are not an exact match for this Forsythia, but genus and family are correct

LeafSnap “Branch” Results

Bittersweet* ✘ Black Cherry ✔

*I tried several other apps, none of them positively identified Bittersweet

iNaturalist

• Cost: Free but you register to be part of the community
• IDs plants, insects, mammals, fish, fungi, etc.
• Advantages: The ID can be confirmed by other users. 2.5m users and 100+m observations!
• Extra features: has basic plant info and range, doing good for science as many scientists use this data set.

iNaturalist

Seek

Seek is iNaturalist but no registration and no user data collected.

If you are concerned about privacy, this is the app for you.

Picture This

Cost: Free to $3 weekly, $30 annual, $50 Pro level

Advantages: 1m+ plants, IDs plants, diseases and care tips. Can send reminders on watering and other care needs, access to personal online help.

Cons: Not quite as good on natives as iNaturalist, if using free version, you’re limited to 10 IDs per day.

iNaturalist v Picture This

WEED

Both got Three sided Mercuries

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iNaturalist v Picture This

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Deer poop

Picture This ID’d this as a dangerous fungi

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Visual Lookup and Google Lens

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Cost: Free. VL is an Apple product, and GL is for Androids

Advantages: Identification of all sort of things, text scanning, translation, and shopping, etc.

Cons: Privacy - giving companies more insight into your doings.

Visual Lookup & Google Lens

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Choices of fuschias & native honeysuckle

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iNat.- Spittlebug

Pic This - Wingstem

G Lens -a bulb, ring, ?Cannabis

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iNat.- E.Comma

G Lens E. Comma

Conclusion

• Apps are a great tool to help ID plants, but they are not infallible, so use multiple apps or other resources for challenging plants
• Of the most popular apps, choose based on ease of use, cost, and whether you want to participate in a larger group
• Higher quality photos will likely get you more accurate results
• Multiple images of plant (stem, leaf, flower) can get you better results

Questions? Contact the Help Desk Team – helpline@ramga.org

Call and leave a message at 540-463-4734

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Next Month’s Topic:

Plant Diseases: The Doctor is In!

Hope to see you next zoom talk

Saturday, November 20 at 11 A.M.

Hope to see you at our next Zoom talk

Saturday, July 16 at 11am