With the growing popularity of gardening, learning how to grow plants begins with learning the plants’ names. How often do you walk or drive by a yard and your eye is drawn to a stunning grouping of plants with purple flowers or a tree in mid-summer with fragrant, bee-loving blossoms? How hard is it to identify an unknown plant? Piece of cake; you just need to know where to look.
Start with the easiest identification methods.
In your own yard, hold on to the plant tag that comes with plants you purchase at garden centers and area plant sales. Write the names down in a garden notebook, on a spreadsheet or place the tags in a folder or envelope. Or, try punching a hole in each garden tag and place on old shower curtain rings. Hang the rings in the garage or garden shed for quick reference when needed.
Garden books are timeless. Hold on to the ones that are regional to Colorado and the West. Chances are high that you’ll find your mystery plant the old-fashioned way: by opening a book.
Ask your seasoned garden friend to come along on your daily walk, casually point out the plants in question and ask about the plant name. If they know it, points will be made, smiles all around and you can show your appreciation over a glass of iced tea (or something stronger depending on the time of day).
Home gardeners are friendly and happy to talk about their gardens. If you happen to catch the homeowner outside, politely ask them about the plant of interest. Always show respect around private property and boundaries if taking photos of people’s gardens.
Take a photo of the plant and ask your favorite garden center to identify it. Local, independently owned garden centers are more likely to have a broad range of plant knowledge.
Posting a photo for description to online neighborhood bulletin board sites is popular and handy. Answers can vary, and if learning the correct scientific name of the plant is important, try other sources.
Upload the photo for identification by Colorado Master Gardeners and CSU University staff at Ask an Expert. If the photo isn’t great quality, it is helpful to add additional information, such as where the plant is growing (sun, shade, indoors); leaf size and shape (arrow, round, maple like); plant size; and bloom color. The more information the better.
Have your charged mobile phone with you, or tour along with someone who has one, when visiting public gardens. Look for the individual tagged plant name with the scientific designation and common name close to the plant. The tag will most likely have a QR code, which is the two-dimensional black and white square barcode that stores information about the plant or item. You may need to download the QR app to your mobile phone (Android users) or with Apple, simply open Settings, then tap Control Center and look for the QR Code Reader under the Customize Controls section. The camera scans the code when held directly above (more or less) the code on the plant label. Follow the prompts to open the link to read about the plant. You can also take a photo of the plant tag and the plant itself for later reference. Public gardens usually have maps on their websites with handy tools to search for plants, or they may provide a link to one of the popular plant identifying apps such as PlantSnap. A volunteer docent may also be on hand to offer naming help.
Let an internet search engine help you with your plant search, without using an app from your mobile phone or tablet. Type in a short description of the plant in the search box, such as “plant with purple flowers,” then click on Images right below the search box. Scores of photos will display, and perhaps you’ll see the plant you like. Add more descriptions to narrow the search, like “outdoor plant with purple flowers.” You can also paste a photo for identification, but that isn’t 100 percent reliable. I uploaded a photo common green basil and Bing told me it was a hosta.
Plant identification apps
Both Bing and Google have free mobile phone and tablet apps that allow quick, easy plant searches. Download either app to your device. You’ll be asked to OK access to your photos; click yes. Open your photos using the Google or Bing app and the search bar will populate any photo you click on. To the right of the search bar, look for the symbol that looks like a square with a dot in the middle and click on the symbol. The plant-related results will show you other plants of the same type — hopefully the one you are looking for.
Other popular free phone and tablet apps include Seek by iNaturalist, PlantNet, PlantSnap and What’s that Flower. Fee-based applications include PictureThis, Garden Compass Plant Disease Identifier and FlowerChecker.
Colorado-specific plant identification apps
A one-stop shop for Colorado plant identification and other information is available via Colorado State University.
For free Colorado-based applications, search for these in the App store: Colorado Plant Database; CO Woody Plants; Colorado Wildflowers; Colorado Rocky Mtn Wildflowers; High Country Apps; Colorado Wetland Field Guides and App.
