4 apps for nature-spotting

Whether you are a naturalist, gardener, or a hiking enthusiast, chances are you must have stopped by a plant or a critter in the wild and wondered what it is. Download these apps from PlayStore and AppStore to find those answers.

PlantSnap

It can help you identify over 6 lakh plants, flowering species, trees, mushrooms, succulents, cacti and other ornamental varieties included. The free version of the app allows 10 identifications per day. If you’re looking to start a garden, it also gives information on how to take care of plants. The app is available in 30 languages and has an in-built social networking feature to connect with nature lovers.

Google Lens

This app can identify many things, including the natural world. If you are out in a park or on the road and are curious about what that potted plant or pup in front of you is, click its picture and let the Internet do its magic.

Pl@ntNet

There are about 3.91 lakh species of plants known to science, and Agropolis Foundation from France has launched this app as a citizen science project to identify as many species as it can. Currently, the app makes it possible to recognise about 20,000 species.

All you have to do is click and upload the photo of a plant, flowering or non-flowering, or grass or succulents. Then select a category like leaf, flower, fruit, bark, and habitat to narrow down the search. Soon, you can see similar-looking photos uploaded by other users with their scientific and common names.

iNaturalist

A collaboration of California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic Society, this app lets one identify both plants and animals. Around 20.19 lakh users have pooled in observations of 3.44 lakh species. The app also connects you to a community of over 4 lakh scientists and naturalists. Plus, you can follow projects by fellow scientists.