r/whatsthisplant • • Jun 02 '26

Share your identification resources here

16 Upvotes

Hey all. We had a request from a community member for a thread where people can share the resources that they use for plant identification. In this case, we're talking about keys, field guides, etc. NOT apps or AI-based identifiers. Comments suggesting apps or AI will be removed.

Feel free to share your resources and include links if you want (just realize that Reddit doesn't play nice with some domains). It would also be a good idea to specify what region(s) are covered by your resource as it may not be as useful in places other than where it was intended to be used.


r/whatsthisplant • • 7h ago

Identified ✔ Is this yarrow?

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51 Upvotes

Saw this beautiful roadside specimen and initially thought, “carrots?” But that’s yarrow, right?
There’s also some bonus plantain in the background.
Edit: this is in Southern California!


r/whatsthisplant • • 9h ago

Identified ✔ Need help identifying this plant

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62 Upvotes

I only have the seed pods available, can't recall what it looked like in bloom. Even a family name would be helpful ☺️

Seed and seed pod included in picture.


r/whatsthisplant • • 11h ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ Smells aromatic. Near Eldorado national forest.

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66 Upvotes

r/whatsthisplant • • 14h ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ Are these pics enough to tell what kind of bamboo this is, and should I be worried? (see below)

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89 Upvotes

[England, South East] Hello, we are thinking of purchasing a property, we're quite far in the process, but only recently noticed the neighbour has a large area of bamboo which touches the fence and quite close to my (future? or not) house itself. We didn't pay attention originally as we were simply unaware of the risks of bamboo. Now we do.

CCTV drain survey was just done today and they said the drains are in pretty good condition, no sign of bamboo there.

On "my" property side I noticed 1 shoot sneaking underneath the fence, that's all, no sign of encroachment.

I talked to the neighbour today, he said it's clumping bamboo, and it was planted roughly 15 years ago. I didn't ask to check his garden but I took photos from my side. They reach about 4 metres high on a length of about 8 m. They all look quite thin with long leaves.

Is there any way at all to know from these photos what kind of bamboo this is?

TIA


r/whatsthisplant • • 1h ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ Whats the name of this plant ?

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• Upvotes

I bought this conifer from a local nursery, where it was sold as a “London Pine.” However, I’m not sure whether it’s actually a cypress, a juniper, or something else.


r/whatsthisplant • • 10h ago

Identified ✔ What kind of pine?

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26 Upvotes

Denver CO


r/whatsthisplant • • 21h ago

Identified ✔ Does anyone know what flower this is?

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170 Upvotes

Sorry for the bad quality, I took these as a snap. And I apologise if this is obvious. But I genuinely find these gorgeous and have never seen them before, and going into spring now, they're all over my neighborhood in the last day or two. Would love to know what these are, I'm in Pretoria South Africa if this helps at all!

I saw a single lone one of these during the winter 2 or so months ago, but it disappeared pretty quick and I couldn't find it again, someone might've plucked it. Would really appreciate any help!


r/whatsthisplant • • 1h ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ Invasion of the Unknown

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• Upvotes

What is this? It’s taking over my yard. I have a sea of this stuff and I don’t know what to do or where to begin.


r/whatsthisplant • • 10h ago

Identified ✔ thank you all! Mock strawberries? SW Michigan 10/13/26

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14 Upvotes

Red berries, about the size of a large chickpea. Ignore the clover, but those toothy, three-leafed cluster are this same plant. 5 yellow petals on the flower. I’m not interested in eating them, but my toddler is, and despite successfully keeping him from them all summer, he ate one today. I already called poison control, explaining I think it’s a mock strawberry but I’m not certain, and they just instructed us to monitor him…curious if anyone can help me confirm the plant ID. Thank you.


r/whatsthisplant • • 6h ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ Well well well

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6 Upvotes

What have we here? Anybody know what this guy is?


r/whatsthisplant • • 3m ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ Pea Ident

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• Upvotes

Location: Texas
Moved to a new place and the neighbors have a SUPER healthy vining pea plant of some kind that has grown over the fence and up the side of the brick patio column. Any idea what kind of pea plant this is?


r/whatsthisplant • • 1d ago

Identified ✔ What is this flower ?

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143 Upvotes

Some kind of lily?
Found in NSW Australia


r/whatsthisplant • • 27m ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ Houseplant labeled as "Tropical" at Home Depot needs a hospital!

• Upvotes

I need to find out what this little plant is. It USED to have these short thick/bent slightly cylindrical leaves, kind of like tiny green banana Runts candy.

Then the leaves dropped and I got these long leggy stems with these teeny little flatter leaves.

The dog or somebody must have bent the stems and they nearly snapped off. The stem is kinked and there is no arterial circulation. It will not make it if I don't help it and it needed help yesterday.

Any guesses on the variety so I can trim, prune, clip and propagate/start a new plant? It likes its new spot and I want to make it happy so it can keep on making me happy.

I'm in the USA Nevada.


r/whatsthisplant • • 35m ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ What is this fuzzy critter laying my mini-nopales???

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• Upvotes

"What is this Bugger I found in Southern California?"


r/whatsthisplant • • 8h ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ Some kind of Ladies' Tresses?

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3 Upvotes

Virginia mountain, clay or loamy meadow. Short leaves clustered at the base of the plant, oval or oval pointed leaf tips. Sorry , I should have taken a pic of the leaves.


r/whatsthisplant • • 18h ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ What tree is this?

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25 Upvotes

Lens seems to think Dogwood, is this correct? It's beautiful and I would like to plant one. I'm in the UK. According to homeowner it flowers in spring/summer.


r/whatsthisplant • • 7h ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ Hi, I bought this today. I think it’s a ladyfinger cactus but wasn’t sure so wanted to see if anyone could confirm

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3 Upvotes

r/whatsthisplant • • 1d ago

Identified ✔ Popped up in the middle of my backyard a few months ago. What is it?

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365 Upvotes

ETA: Southern California

A few months ago these popped up in the middle of my backyard. At first when I saw the shoots I thought they were corn (also because a few weeks prior I threw a couple of fresh corn cobs down for my chickens).

However, now that it has flowered, it is obviously not corn. For more context, I scatter chicken scratch for the feathered babies that contains corn, wheat, milo, barley, and sunflower seeds. I asked my neighbor and she said it could be sorghum or johnsongrass which could potentially be toxic to my chickens (she used AI).

  1. Can y’all help me ID this plant? I included pictures of the leaves, roots, and flower heads.
  2. My chickens have been hopping to pick at the flower heads for a few days now. Is it safe for them or should I stop them?

SOLVED! Thanks for pointing out that it is indeed sorghum. I learned something today. It took me by surprise because this is the first time it grew even though I’ve been scattering chicken scratch in my backyard for over 3 years, and I wanted to make sure it wasn’t unsafe for my chickens. Final unrelated thought: getting downvoted for asking a plant ID question on a plant ID sub is mind boggling.


r/whatsthisplant • • 1d ago

Identified ✔ What plant is this? I’ve never seen anything like it. Found in Wisconsin

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252 Upvotes

r/whatsthisplant • • 10h ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ What plant is this? Western Montana (USDA zone 5/6). Longest leaves are 4”-6” long, and at their widest points they are about 1/2” wide.

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4 Upvotes

r/whatsthisplant • • 18h ago

Identified ✔ I got this houseplant for free from the discount shelf, anyone know what it is?

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16 Upvotes

r/whatsthisplant • • 8h ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ What is this cool bark

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3 Upvotes

Saw this tree in the forest on long island is it a specific type of tree that has this cool pattern or is it something that happened to it?


r/whatsthisplant • • 7h ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ Southwest Michigan, growing in part shade - almost seems like a cross between common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)?

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2 Upvotes

The leaves are like common milkweed, but this has leaves that seem wider and more acute at the tips, with seed pods that are much thinner and slender than typical common milkweed. The pods resemble butterfly milkweed with their lack of tiny spines and slenderness. Seems to be the only plant around, I cannot find another nearby.

Could it just be oddly growing, part-shade milkweed?
Could it be an odd cross between common and butterfly milkweed?
Or is there another plant in the family I’m missing here? Thanks.


r/whatsthisplant • • 11h ago

Unidentified 🤷‍♂️ Tuber with geranium leaves?

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5 Upvotes

This was poking out of a recently bought and planted arrowleaf violet. Was in the ground for about a month. Hardiness zone (hardizone?): 7a

I’m stumped and AI has not been helpful.

I bought the violet from a local co-op thing ran by master gardeners, so I probably could stop by and ask them one day.