How to get good answers to your Plant ID questions

What to include in your posting when you want an identification

  1. wcutler
    When you want a plant identification, you can increase your chances of getting a reply by doing the following:

    Attach photos
    Upload photos, as long as the images are your own or are specifically indicated as being licensed for sharing.

    Include a picture of the whole plant, flowers (if present), fruit (if present), bark (if a tree), and leaves, and the arrangement of the leaves. Take photos of the undersides of the leaves / shoots as well as the upper sides. Close-up macros showing the presence or absence of hairs on the leaf or shoot can also be important.

    Include something to indicate the size of the plant, leaves or fruits.

    In your description, include the location of the plant, what time of year the photo was taken or when it flowers.

    Looking for help on attaching images? See Attach photos and files.

    Photos are better than links, but use links if you only have photos from the internet that you do not have permission to post.

    Lots of questions? Just do three at a time, or just one
    If you have multiple plants to identify, it is preferred that you post them in increments of 3-5 at a time - post 3-5, get them identified as well as can be done, then start a new thread with the next 3-5. See the next point - it will be easier to use a descriptive title if you post a single plant for ID.

    Use descriptive titles
    Distinguish your question from all the others. We know you want an ID - say in the title something about what the thing looks like that you want an ID for.

    New question, start a new thread
    You may have as many threads as you want, so no need to piggy-back onto another thread, either your own or someone else's. If it's a new topic, start a new thread.
    Georgia Strait likes this.

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  1. lizardmarsh
    lizardmarsh
    5/5,
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