Plant Identification Blog

Expert guides to help you identify plants, avoid toxic species, and care for your green friends.

Early spring garden

Early Spring Weed Identification

Identify the 6 weeds that appear first in spring — dandelions, hairy bittercress, wild violet, henbit, chickweed, and clover. Which are edible?

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Spring flowers

Spring Flower Identification Guide

Identify 8 iconic spring flowers — crocus, daffodil, tulip, hyacinth, forsythia, cherry blossom, magnolia, and lilac. When they bloom and how to tell them apart.

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Seedling trays

Seed Starting & Seedling Identification

Learn to identify seedlings vs weeds in your seed trays. Cotyledons vs true leaves, common seedlings, and when to transplant.

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Dog in garden

Is This Plant Poisonous to Dogs?

Learn which common household and garden plants are toxic to dogs, how to identify them, and what to do if your dog eats one.

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Poison ivy leaves

How to Identify Poison Ivy

Master the art of spotting poison ivy and distinguishing it from harmless lookalikes. Leaves of three, let it be!

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Cat with houseplants

Indoor Plants Safe for Cats

A complete guide to beautiful houseplants that won't harm your feline friends. Build a cat-safe indoor jungle.

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Wild mushrooms

How to Identify Mushrooms

A beginner's guide to mushroom identification with essential safety warnings. Never eat a mushroom you can't positively identify.

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Succulents

Succulent Identification Guide

Learn to tell your Echeveria from your Sempervivum. A visual guide to identifying the most popular succulent varieties.

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Weeds in lawn

Common Weeds Identification

Identify the most common weeds in your yard and garden. Know which to pull and which might actually be useful.

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Tree leaves

Tree Identification by Leaf

Learn to identify trees by their leaves alone. Covers leaf shapes, margins, arrangements, and the most common species.

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Wildflowers

Flowering Plant Identification

Identify common flowers by color, shape, and petal count. A visual guide to the most popular garden and wildflowers.

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Houseplants

Houseplant Care Guide for Beginners

Everything you need to know to keep your first houseplants alive. Watering, light, soil, and the easiest plants to start with.

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Garden plants

Poisonous Plants for Children

Identify plants dangerous to kids in your home and yard. Essential safety knowledge for every parent and caregiver.

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