About us

About PlantIDOnline

Who we are, and why we built a free plant identifier that shows its reasoning.

PlantIDOnline is a free plant identifier that works in your browser. You upload a photo, and it gives you a likely name, the reasons behind the match, the closest lookalikes, care basics and a pet-safety note. No app, no account.

Why we built it

Most plant identification tools stop at a name, ask you to install an app, or hide the answer behind a sign-up. We wanted one tool that answers the next questions too: is it really that plant, how do I keep it alive, and is it safe around my cat, dog or child?

What we promise

• Honest results. Every identification is a likely match, not a guarantee. We show how confident the match is, and when a photo only supports a family or genus, we say so.
• Reasons, not just a name. Each result lists the visible traits behind the match and the lookalikes worth checking.
• Safety first. We never tell you a plant is safe to eat, and we do not identify mushrooms. If a pet or person may have eaten a plant, we point you to a vet or poison-control service.
• Your photos stay private. Photos are used only for the identification you ask for. They are never published. See our Privacy Policy.

Who is behind PlantIDOnline

PlantIDOnline is an independent plant identification website. We built it because most plant ID apps print a name and stop there — we wanted a free tool that shows why a plant is a match, names the lookalikes, and gives an honest safety note, with no app and no sign-up.

Content review: every guide is written and checked by the PlantIDOnline Editorial Team. Botanical names are checked against recognised plant databases, pet-safety notes against established veterinary toxic-plant lists, and care advice against university extension and botanical-garden sources. Each guide shows when it was last updated, and corrections sent to [email protected] are reviewed and fixed.

How we check our work

We test the identifier on real photos and publish what we find, including where it struggles. Read How We Test for the method and the latest results.

Get in touch

Found a wrong result, a broken page or a plant we should cover? Contact us — we read every message.