iPhone and Tree and plant lovers, we found a great app. The next time you are out exploring, take a photo of a leaf with your iPhone and Leafsnap might identify the species of the plant or tree. Currently the app just identifies trees native to the Northeastern U.S., but the app will soon cover the entire continental U.S.. The Android version is coming soon.
Created by researchers from Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institution, Leafsnap utilizes visual recognition software to identify leaves. It is a very cool, easy to use app that merges technology and science.
Leafsnap helps you discover much more about the world around you; there is a visual dictionary of leaf types and, for budding Arborists (Bob Ray is hiring, btw), there are actually leaf-identifying games. If you ever wanted to write an app but had no clue how, you may also contribute to the collective knowledge about native plants and trees by labeling leaves in the app and sending it to the writers.