Blog

Introduction to Classroom Cactus Identification: Ideas for Educators

Jul 10, 2018

Teaching a class to recognize cacti is a great intro to the natural world -- cacti are fascinating, and relatively easy to find if you’re in their neck of the woods. Cacti can also be surprisingly challenging to recognize, especially if you have a lot of species near...

What Is This Flower? A Guide to Learning to Identify Plants

Jul 9, 2018

“What is this flower?” You ask, pointing towards a bright pink bud that appeared in your neighbor’s garden. Or perhaps you’re looking at a small blue flower during a hike along a river. Learning plant identification is easier than ever, and it's especially true with...

How to Use PlantSnap as an Educational Tree Identification Tool

Jul 5, 2018

Teaching students to identify trees is a great introduction to the natural world -- trees are big, imposing, and easy to find. Trees can also be surprisingly difficult to identify, especially if you have a lot of coniferous (evergreen) trees in your area. An...

Why PlantSnap’s Flower Identification is a Perfect Educational Tool

Jul 4, 2018

Learning how to identify flowers is one of the easiest (and prettiest) ways to get kids interested in nature. Given how busy teachers are, it’s always nice to learn about a new educational tool to help engage students in the classroom. It’s even better when the tool...

Learn How PlantSnap is Shazam for Plants

Jul 2, 2018

With nearly 400,000 species of plants on the planet, it’s hard to feel confident learning to identify plants. Even if you can learn to identify the wildflowers in your area, there are garden flowers and invasive plants to worry about. It’s all really overwhelming. It...

Introducing PlantSnap for Free on Android!

Jun 28, 2018

Up until just a few weeks ago, you could not get PlantSnap for free. You had to pay to use what’s being called “Shazam for plants,” and there was no way around that. With the most recent app update, you can now get PlantSnap for free on Android! Now, users can get...

What Do Plant Veins and Leaves Actually Do?

Jun 22, 2018

When you’re peering at leaves through the lens of your camera, trying to identify a cool new plant in your yard, you might notice some weird lines along the leaves. These lines are called veins, and not just because they look like your veins. Plant veins are actually...

How Plants Get Their Nutrients, and What Nutrients Plants Need to Survive

Jun 21, 2018

Plants and animals alike need nutrients to survive. But without mouths, how do plants get the necessary nutrients and energy for life? You might be vaguely aware that plants use their roots to absorb nutrients - and plants need sunlight, right? But how do roots and...

Seven Benefits of Eating Wild Plants

Jun 15, 2018

Eating organic and local produce is a noble goal - but can be financially or logistically difficult in many areas. Eating wild plants can reduce the financial burden of organic foods while giving you many of the same benefits - and more. As we discussed in our article...

The Seven Rules for Foraging for Wild Foods

Jun 13, 2018

The more you learn about the wild plants around you, the more you realize that foraging for wild foods is possible even in suburban environments. Look around you. The dandelion greens are great for tea while the thistle leaves are a delicious salad topping. Wild...

What Are Invasive Plants and Why Are They Bad?

Jun 8, 2018

The term “invasive plants” brings to mind a small army of green shoots, marching towards the forest to wreak havoc, a la Fern Gully. If that’s what you think of, you’re not all that far off. Invasive plants are one of the harder aspects of human influence on the world...

Look Out for These 9 Common Garden Pests This Summer

Jun 5, 2018

Just as your garden plants are really starting to bloom, you notice black spots on the leaves. Or maybe you find chewed-up petals or a whitish fuzz along your roots. Garden pests are no joke. They can kill your garden very quickly, undoing all of your hard work....

What Do Botanists Do?

Jun 3, 2018

When I say botanist, you might think of a white-bearded man scampering around the woods collecting flowers. Maybe you think of a slightly nutty woman a la Professor Sprout in Harry Potter. Or perhaps you just shrug at me. What is a botanist and what do botanists do?...

A Guide to Garden Flower Identification

Jun 1, 2018

It’s exciting to watch new shoots pop up in springtime and new blooms emerge. But what is growing in your garden? Maybe you just moved in and have no idea what the last owner planted in your garden. Or perhaps you’re forgetful (like me) and just can’t remember what...

How to Enjoy Botanical Gardens

May 29, 2018

Botanical gardens can be a beautiful, quiet activity almost any time of year, but it takes a bit of preparation to fully enjoy botanical gardens. Botanical gardens are a great place to learn about flower and tree identification, local sacred plants, and rare plants....

No Results Found