Questions tagged [identification]

Use this tag for questions that ask "what is this thing?" Pictures, geographic location, and descriptive titles are important. Ask only one identification request per question. When you get an answer, consider adding a further tag (for the flower, tree, beetle etc. that has been identified) so your question is cataloged correctly. If the question is about determining the cause of a plant problem (e.g. disease), the diagnosis tag is more appropriate.

When asking an identification question:

  • Make a good title:

    • Include the type of thing (weed, bug, plant, etc.) that you want to identify.
    • Include distinctive features. ("Red fuzzy vines".)
    • Include where it was found -- both where in the world, and where in a "micro" sense ("eating the lower leaves of my plant", "under a rock", "fungus growing on my tree trunk", etc).

    • Ask only one plant identification request per question. If you'd like more than one plant identified, feel free to ask additional questions.

  • Include at least one photo.

  • Repeat the descriptive features in your question.
  • Include how it relates to gardening.

When you get a satisfactory answer, consider adding a further tag so that your question is cataloged with other similar questions. If an answer makes the question relevant to another category (e.g. a vine later identified as Morning Glory), then it should be tagged as such.

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How do you identify a plant?

I'm pretty new to gardening and landscaping. Having recently bought a house, one of the things I'd like to be able to do is identify the trees and smaller plants that are on the property so I can learn how to take proper care of them. Rather than…
JavadocMD
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How can I tell if a plant given to me is patented?

Sometimes, I receive an unlabeled plant start from a friend, and they do not know if it is patented. If I want to grow and sell a plant in question, is it okay to just take the chance, or is there a way to find patents?
J. Musser
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What is the purpose of this bundle of sticks?

A friend of mine has bought a garden in Dresden recently. The previous owner has left a few strange bundles of sticks hanging around, but we can't figure out what their purpose is. Any idea?
Joril
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What is this large flat leafed plant with yellow flowers (central Missouri)

I live in an apartment building, and my landlord has neglected to mow the back yard for quite a while now. In this time period this unknown plant that I've never seen before has grown to a height of about 38iches (965mm). I live in Central Missouri,…
DForck42
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Does anyone know of a somewhat comprehensive plant database available online?

As a gardener I've found that doing some paperwork while gardening really assists in keeping things organized and on schedule. It occured to me the other day as I stopped to check my beeping phone that it'd be REALLY handy to have a software…
Peter Grace
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What is this plant with red, green and yellow colored leaves and little white flowers?

I'd like to get a hint to identify the beautiful plant with red, green and yellow leafs in the picture below. The color of the leaves has been like that since the plant has been there (at least since June this year), so no autumn specialty. In some…
Patrick B.
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What is this large leafed plant?

I like the way it looks and might want to get one but I need to know what it is. The location is Minnesota.
Mike Wills
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Is this orange-yellowish-flowered plant a wildflower or a weed?

Can you please id this flower that grows here and there in my garden: The zone is 7. All photos are of separate plants.
Aleksandar M
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Which species and group of clematis is this?

Hi! I'm new to the site, and have long been wondering who I could ask to help me identify this clematis. I've done a bit of poking around online at various nursery sites hoping to find it, but I'm a little overwhelmed by how many varieties and…
Windermere
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What is this plant with long sharp leaves? Is it a weed?

In my garden I have several of the plants shown below. At first I thought it is a weed, but then it was quite robust against cold weather and continued to grow slowly: The leaves are long and sharp, the example shown below is about 30cm high and the…
Patrick B.
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12
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What is this pink flower with dark green leaves?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
Kyle Hayes
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What is this plant with hairy stems and opposite leaves?

Can someone tell me the name of this plant. It is growing in a pot in Morocco. It has hairy stem and leaves. I haven't seen any flowers yet, but I've been told they are blue or purple. It does not have a scent.
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What is this plant growing all over my backyard?

These plants/weeds are everywhere in my garden. Could someone confirm whether they are weeds or a plant (ground cover perhaps)? They are slightly different as you can see one of them has an actual leaf shape. Whilst the other one is round and grows…
Lisa
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What's this green small leaf aquarium plant?

I was given this plant by someone several years ago and stuck it into a planted tank with compost and volcanic rock on top. It has a slight stripe to it and in full sun sometimes goes red but at present it's in a window with only a couple of hours…
Graham Chiu
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What is this itch-inducing twig I found in my cilantro?

I bought a bunch of cilantro today at my usual produce market and when I picked it up, I felt a couple of pricks on my fingers that started itching a lot. When I got home and started preparing said cilantro, I found a twig of something that is…
Kareen
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