First off this app runs $29.99 a year.  I never spend money on apps.  I always opt for the free version so for me to spend this amount of money it’s got to be good- and it is.  The basic premise of the app is you take a photo of a plant you want to identify either from your phone library or from the app.  Within a few seconds after “thinking,” presto your plant will be identified. This applies to wild plants or domesticated, flowering or not.  Then you can add the plant to “MY GARDEN” to refer to later. It also supplies other information about the plant such as where it will grow and instructions for care.

Now, I am a book person but often out in the field, it can be very difficult to identify lesser-known plants with field guides. This app saves me from lugging 5 pounds of books in my backpack. You do need wifi or cell service but if you don’t have it, you may wait until you return to civilization for identification. I have found the app about 95% accurate. It can be fooled by grasses and non-flowering plants with similar foliage. It also helps me ID weeds and interesting plants I see on local walks.

On a recent trip to Sedona, Arizona during their “super bloom” this year, I found Picture This a godsend to get information quickly about all the wildflowers that were foreign to my eye.  There is a one-week trial period to try it out the delux version. This would be a particularly fun app to use with kids. I highly recommend it.

PS…I get no financial benefit from this endorsement.