skip to main content

Name That Plant!

Wildflower ID database???

16 years ago

Hi all!

It just doesn't seem possible that a simple, guided-tour type of database query engine doesn't exist for helping us identify our flowers. I've looked now and then for years, including all morning today, but I can't find anything. I actually thought about writing one myself -- it's not that hard -- I just would have needed the data.

What I'm looking for is either a step-by-step helper that shows you photos of certain plant/flower characteristics, and you select those that you know, or answer "don't know". Or things like "does the flower have petals?" "How may petals" "What color are the petals?" "What shape are the petals?" How large?, pistil info, stamen info, sepal info, etc., etc. That would sure help narrow down searches. I have a library of field guides, but going through all those pictures -- no matter how well the guide is organized -- doesn't always help ID the flower. I have photographed hundreds and hundreds of species of wildflowers, and I'm trying once again to ID those hold-outs. I think there's too many of them to post them here.

So, does anybody know of a website that allows the user to enter the known data about a flowering plant and get a list of possible identifications? USDA was the right idea, but it's no help.

Thanks in advance,

Doug:)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

carol23_gw
16 years ago
There are a few sites with pictures based on flower color.
I would suggest using these.

Missouriplants.com
Alabamaplants.com
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/galleryindex.html

For books, there is Newcomb's Wildflower Guide which has " regular parts" of flowers by the number of those regular parts, plus " irregular parts" . Each of those has a section for alternate, basal, opposite leaves.
paalexan
16 years ago
Sounds like what you're looking for is a flora with dichotomous keys; something like Gleason & Cronquist's Manual of the Vascular Plants of the Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. In addition to the limitations you mention, an additional problem with field guides is that none of them contain all, or even most, plants that occur in an area. The best they can do is include most of the widespread, common species that you're likely to run into often.

There are people who are either putting existing floras online or creating online floras. However, having spent some time doing it myself, let me assure you that it is indeed quite a lot of work. The online flora I've been working on (which will hopefully be finished in another couple of years) is at organmountainsflora.com. Other sources of online identification keys are plantsystematics.org (click the "keys" button at top left) and, although not nearly as sophisticated (being just a translation of written keys into html), Flora of North America. The FNA, when finished, will be the best authoritative source for plant identification in the US & Canada as a whole.

Patrick
Related Discussions
Please help me ID this weed/wildflower/surprise plant
Q
Comments (3)
WELL...last night someone on name that plant forum indicated that it was called Yellowrocket, which led to finding that it is probably a very close relative of Yellowrocket: Wild Radish. Whis is a very close relative to Wild Mustard :-) The only reason it can't be Yellowrocket is because the stems and leaves have tiny hairs, which indicates it is Wild Radish. However. I have seen pics of Wild Radish now on Google Images that don't look like this plant, and some that show Yellowrocket looking dead-on accurate, save for the leaves. Ha. At any rate, I'm pulling them up...tis' not to be... Thanks so much for your help, timbu and fammsimm. Now I am also familiar with two other kinds of weeds, so if I spot them, I'll know right away :-) Joanna
...See More
Wildflower ID please
Q
Comments (6)
Wow, great pictures and flowers. I will try and get some time to help figure some of these out later on, but for now I will comment on a few that I have at least some idea on. I would try and figure out the Genus and search through the USDA plant database. Here are a few of my initial thoughts. Cactus gallery: I don't know White gallery: Neither are familiar to me. Orange gallery: 1. Reminds me of a mallow or hibiscus. 2. Not sure, I would start with penstemons. 3. No idea In the pink gallery: 1. No idea, but awesome flowers! 2. Owl's clover was my initial thought, a search of that genus found this, Castilleja exserta 3. No idea 4. Reminded me of hibiscus. I tried it on USDA site and found this, Hibiscus denudatus. 5. Onion? Allium species. 6. Same as 4? 7. No idea 8. No idea 9. No idea No idea No idea Purple gallery: 1. Onion? Alium species. 2. Not sure, but I would maybe start by finding the genus or family that a plant called fiddle neck is in. 3. No idea 4. Some kind of Iris!!! awesome. Yellow gallery: 1. No idea 2. No idea 3. Another hibiscus? 4. No idea Sorry I wasn't much help. I will try some more later. Brian
...See More
More wildflower ID questions
Q
Comments (10)
too many requests in one post ... imo .... second pick looks like alysum ... another pic .. the blue flowers are annual bachelor buttons ... aka cornflower .. and in my coffeee buzz... i cant think of the latin name ... last pic reminds me of forget me not .. myositis... but i wonder why its blooming now ... google the names.. flip to images.. and compare ken
...See More
ID help on a woodland wildflower
Q
Comments (8)
Just because I am not all that familiar with the Rubiaceae, this thread prompted me do a little more curiosity based research and of course, my Google search turned up Wikipedia as the first hit. OMG!! I am a very experienced gardener, have a degree in horticulture and have taken tons of botany and plant ID classes - even taught a few - but I have never encountered the degree of technicality that article applied to describe this wide and varied plant family! Virtually every sentence had at least one multisyllabic botanical descriptor I have never heard of! I am not sure I am any more informed than I was before reading that and I certainly feel a whole lot dumber :-) Maybe I need to go back to school...........
...See More
agirlsgirl
16 years ago
I Hope these are ones you can use!

http://www.mywildflowers.com/index.asp

http://2bnthewild.com/phvsixsc.htm

http://www.birdmom.net/wildflowerindex.html

Good Luck!~Angie :)
vbain
16 years ago
try http://www.realtimerendering.com/flowers/flowers.html

Here is a link that might be useful: wildflower identification

Related Stories

FALL GARDENING Be Your Own Wildflower Nursery

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Gather seeds from your garden in fall, and you'll have a selection of plants for next year — without spending a dime

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Essential Wildflowers for the U.S. Central Plains

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Focusing on prairie wildflowers supports the most wildlife in a low-maintenance Plains landscape

FLOWERS 10 Spring Wildflowers for the Central Plains

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

These blooming native perennials thrive in dry locations and help welcome early-season pollinators

PRODUCT PICKS Guest Picks: A Posy of Wildflower Designs

Showcase freely growing blooms around the home with wreaths, furniture and wallpaper that outlast summer

GARDENING GUIDES Native Wildflowers for the August Transition Into Fall

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Keep the garden colorful with these stalwart perennials

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Prairie Wildflowers That Can Heal Your Soil

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Get free, organic soil fertilizer with nitrogen-pumping plants that draw pollinators too

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Unsung Wildflowers That Thrive in Dry Shade

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Turn shady problem spots into garden idylls with with these prolific, easy-care bloomers

GARDENING GUIDES Invite Mining Bees to Your Garden by Planting Their Favorite Plants

By Pollination Press LLC

Look for mining bees (Andrena) pollinating woodland wildflowers in U.S. gardens this spring

KITCHEN DESIGN 2012 Color Trends: Natural Purples for Kitchen and Bath

By Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS, MCCWC

Hot now: Purples swiped from dusky sunsets and wildflowers

GARDENING GUIDES Great Native Plant: Rattlesnake Master for Unique Interest

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Serpents actually don’t give a hoot about this prairie wildflower, but insects do — and the foliage is a big draw too

Sponsored

Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers

49 Reviews

Columbus Area's Luxury Design Build Firm | 17x Best of Houzz Winner!

More Discussions

Monster bush out back

15

White Flowers & Spike Balls?

1

Volunteer plant. Leaves similar to dandelion but more coarse & prickly

5

Grass ID please

3

Name that glove?

1