Do you want to learn to identify plants found wild in Britain? Then this website is for you! Unlike phone apps, this site actually teaches you to recognise plant families as you go along, by showing you plants grouped by family. Answer a few short and simple questions, which greatly narrow down which family your plant belongs to, and then press the button to look through all the possible families to find a match. The method used here has been designed and honed over 15 years of running plant ID classes for the public.
The plates on this website present almost¹ the complete British flora – native and alien. You can choose to view the Expert plates (all images we have), Intermediate Plates (rare aliens and extreme rarities omitted), or Beginner plates (only the commoner species, with some added points of interest). If you’re new to plant ID, start with the beginners’ plates, but you can always switch to the others if you think you may have something uncommon or rare! The beginners' plates are especially recommended for children.
You can choose now which type of plates to look at using these buttons here – but you can switch at any time while looking at the plates.

These are the most comprehensive image libraries of the British Isles flora available anywhere online. Each species photo comes with key points of information: how common or rare it is, when it flowers, and what type of habitat it’s usually found in. Seeing all this information together, instead of having to first look at images and then check text, makes it much easier to select the likeliest species you have found. Both English and scientific names are given for all species.

This website is a very new resource, and feedback is welcome! Concept, design and photos are by Dr Richard Milne, and the website was built by Ayaan Decosta. For full details of how to use the site, and FAQs, see here.

¹ The main omissions here are (1) grasses, for which at present only commoner species are included, (2) so-called ‘critical groups’ which contain large numbers of very similar species², for which only representative species are included, and (3) very rare aliens, for which the Expert plates contain as many as possible, but by no means all. Ferns and Conifers are not yet included but will be added soon.

² Did you know that there are 250 kinds of dandelion and 350 kinds of bramble in Britain? This is not something beginners or even experienced amateurs need to worry about, and they all look pretty similar to one another.

Is your plant any of the following?

	Single or Pair	Leaf axils	Spike or raceme	Umbel or double umbel	Complex group	Tight head
Green or Brown flowers, often very small, leaves NOT grass-like	Araceae Plantaginaceae Caryophyllaceae Asparagaceae Ranunculaceae Orchidaceae Cannabaceae Euphorbiaceae	Polygonaceae Amaranthaceae Rosaceae Euphorbiaceae Urticaceae Caryophyllaceae Callitrichaceae Santalaceae Rubiaceae Lythraceae Resedaceae Araceae Saxifragaceae Orchidaceae Thymelaeaceae Montiaceae Crassulaceae Grossulariaceae Asparagaceae Ranunculaceae Aizoaceae Cannabaceae Ceratophyllaceae Elatinaceae Haloragaceae Hippuridaceae	Plantaginaceae Polygonaceae Amaranthaceae Resedaceae Euphorbiaceae Urticaceae Cannabaceae Potamogetonaceae Araceae Cucurbitaceae Saxifragaceae Crassulaceae Brassicaceae Dioscoreaceae Grossulariaceae Thymelaeaceae Asteraceae Salicaceae Gunneraceae Phytolaccaceae	Apiaceae Araliaceae Hydrocotylaceae Cucurbitaceae	Polygonaceae Amaranthaceae Euphorbiaceae Rosaceae Urticaceae Cannabaceae Resedaceae Asteraceae Caryophyllaceae Rubiaceae Ranunculaceae Dioscoreaceae Thymelaeaceae Gunneraceae Saxifragaceae Vitaceae Montiaceae Araliaceae Melanthiaceae	Plantaginaceae Euphorbiaceae Amaranthaceae Rosaceae Adoxaceae Asteraceae Cannabaceae Santalaceae Urticaceae Hydrocotylaceae Araceae Resedaceae Caryophyllaceae Gunneraceae Salicaceae Apiaceae Orchidaceae Saxifragaceae Potamogetonaceae Aizoaceae Vitaceae
Green or Brown flowers, often very small, leaves grass-like	Caryophyllaceae Plantaginaceae Orchidaceae Typhaceae Ranunculaceae	Caryophyllaceae Potamogetonaceae Cyperaceae Typhaceae Orchidaceae Callitrichaceae Zosteraceae Hippuridaceae Hydrocharitaceae Scheuchzeriaceae Ruppiaceae Elatinaceae Cyperaceae Poaceae	Poaceae Cyperaceae Resedaceae Typhaceae Juncaginaceae Araceae Orchidaceae Acoraceae Potamogetonaceae Polygonaceae Scheuchzeriaceae Tofieldiaceae Zosteraceae Ruppiaceae	Poaceae Amaryllidaceae Liliaceae Asphodelaceae Typhaceae Juncaceae	Poaceae Cyperaceae Juncaceae Amaranthaceae Polygonaceae	Poaceae Juncaceae Cyperaceae Typhaceae Araceae Acoraceae Plantaginaceae Amaryllidaceae Potamogetonaceae Orchidaceae Eriocaulaceae Zosteraceae Tofieldiaceae Ruppiaceae Poaceae
Bilateral flowers	Fabaceae Violaceae Caprifoliaceae Araceae Lentibulariaceae Ranunculaceae Sarraceniaceae Campanulaceae Orchidaceae Iridaceae Balsaminaceae Aristolochiaceae Primulaceae	Lamiaceae Veronicaceae Fabaceae Violaceae Phrymaceae Iridaceae Orobanchaceae Caprifoliaceae Campanulaceae Balsaminaceae Polygalaceae Araceae Orchidaceae Resedaceae Aristolochiaceae Lythraceae Tropaeolaceae Acanthaceae	Lamiaceae Veronicaceae Orobanchaceae Fabaceae Papaveraceae Orchidaceae Onagraceae Polygalaceae Balsaminaceae Brassicaceae Boraginaceae Scrophulariaceae Campanulaceae Lentibulariaceae Verbenaceae Iridaceae Lythraceae Resedaceae Ranunculaceae Saxifragaceae Acanthaceae Pontederiaceae Cleomaceae	Fabaceae Apiaceae Geraniaceae	Veronicaceae Scrophulariaceae Valerianaceae Balsaminaceae Lamiaceae Polemoniaceae Boraginaceae Fabaceae Iridaceae Orobanchaceae Verbenaceae Hydrophyllaceae Lythraceae Resedaceae Adoxaceae Caprifoliaceae Campanulaceae Ranunculaceae Papaveraceae Alstroemeriaceae	Fabaceae Asteraceae Lamiaceae Dipsacaceae Valerianaceae Caprifoliaceae Campanulaceae Verbenaceae Orobanchaceae Polemoniaceae Apiaceae Orchidaceae Aponogetonaceae Hydrophyllaceae Pontederiaceae
3 OR 6 petals	Amaryllidaceae Iridaceae Asparagaceae Liliaceae Ranunculaceae Colchicaceae Rosaceae Aristolochiaceae	Asparagaceae Liliaceae Asphodelaceae Iridaceae Resedaceae Aristolochiaceae Polygonaceae Lythraceae Scheuchzeriaceae Commelinaceae	Asparagaceae Iridaceae Dioscoreaceae Liliaceae Asphodelaceae Lythraceae Resedaceae Polygonaceae Nartheciaceae Juncaginaceae Scheuchzeriaceae Tofieldiaceae Araceae Acoraceae Bromeliaceae	Amaryllidaceae Liliaceae Asparagaceae Butomaceae Alismataceae	Asparagaceae Dioscoreaceae Alismataceae Liliaceae Polygonaceae Rosaceae Alstroemeriaceae Iridaceae Asphodelaceae Lythraceae Resedaceae Melanthiaceae Aponogetonaceae Pontederiaceae	Asparagaceae Amaryllidaceae Polygonaceae Asphodelaceae Nartheciaceae Tofieldiaceae Eriocaulaceae Araceae Acoraceae Asteraceae
4 petals	Papaveraceae Rosaceae Onagraceae Ranunculaceae Brassicaceae Cornaceae Gentianaceae Melanthiaceae	Onagraceae Rosaceae Rubiaceae Ranunculaceae Caryophyllaceae Papaveraceae Brassicaceae Veronicaceae Aquifoliaceae Crassulaceae Ericaceae Thymelaeaceae Resedaceae Lythraceae Oleaceae Cleomaceae Buxaceae	Brassicaceae Onagraceae Veronicaceae Resedaceae Polygonaceae Lythraceae Thymelaeaceae Oleaceae Cleomaceae Buxaceae	Papaveraceae	Rubiaceae Rosaceae Brassicaceae Gentianaceae Onagraceae Veronicaceae Lythraceae Resedaceae Aquifoliaceae Celastraceae Cornaceae Rhamnaceae Thymelaeaceae Cleomaceae Garryaceae Rutaceae	Brassicaceae Rubiaceae Dipsacaceae Valerianaceae Adoxaceae Eriocaulaceae Polygonaceae
5 JOINED petals	Primulaceae Ericaceae Convulvulaceae Campanulaceae Apocynaceae Gentianaceae Solanaceae Caprifoliaceae Caryophyllaceae Menyanthaceae Scrophulariaceae Diapensiaceae Nyctaginaceae	Boraginaceae Ericaceae Primulaceae Campanulaceae Convulvulaceae Apocynaceae Solanaceae Cucurbitaceae Gentianaceae Santalaceae Scrophulariaceae Nyctaginaceae	Campanulaceae Boraginaceae Ericaceae Menyanthaceae Crassulaceae Primulaceae Scrophulariaceae Solanaceae Cucurbitaceae Polemoniaceae Verbenaceae	Primulaceae Cucurbitaceae Apocynaceae Apiaceae	Boraginaceae Valerianaceae Gentianaceae Primulaceae Apocynaceae Solanaceae Rubiaceae Campanulaceae Polemoniaceae Plumbaginaceae Caprifoliaceae Caryophyllaceae Scrophulariaceae Adoxaceae Hydrophyllaceae Cucurbitaceae Verbenaceae Menyanthaceae	Asteraceae Dipsacaceae Campanulaceae Primulaceae Boraginaceae Valerianaceae Adoxaceae Convulvulaceae Plumbaginaceae Apiaceae Hydrophyllaceae Caprifoliaceae Polemoniaceae Verbenaceae
5 FREE petals	Ranunculaceae Rosaceae Geraniaceae Caryophyllaceae Hypericaceae Oxalidaceae Saxifragaceae Parnassiaeae Nymphaeaceae Malvaceae Paeoniaceae Linaceae Cistaceae Sarraceniaceae Passifloraceae Saururaceae Grossulariaceae Aizoaceae Portulacaceae Limnanthaceae	Malvaceae Hypericaceae Caryophyllaceae Polygonaceae Crassulaceae Rosaceae Primulaceae Lythraceae Portulacaceae Linaceae Cistaceae Oxalidaceae Geraniaceae Saxifragaceae Santalaceae Ranunculaceae Frankeniaceae Montiaceae Grossulariaceae Menyanthaceae Tropaeolaceae Berberidaceae	Rosaceae Lythraceae Resedaceae Polygonaceae Saxifragaceae Droseraceae Linaceae Cistaceae Montiaceae Berberidaceae Grossulariaceae Ranunculaceae Phytolaccaceae Malvaceae Limnanthaceae Buxaceae	Apiaceae Geraniaceae Oxalidaceae Rosaceae Montiaceae	Rosaceae Hypericaceae Polygonaceae Caryophyllaceae Saxifragaceae Crassulaceae Ranunculaceae Malvaceae Geraniaceae Linaceae Montiaceae Solanaceae Plumbaginaceae Lythraceae Resedaceae	Caryophyllaceae Rosaceae Apiaceae Plumbaginaceae Polygonaceae Saxifragaceae Crassulaceae Cornaceae Thymelaeaceae
7 OR MORE petals	Ranunculaceae Nymphaeaceae Primulaceae Rosaceae Aizoaceae Paeoniaceae Gentianaceae Asteraceae Melanthiaceae Passifloraceae Saururaceae Aponogetonaceae Eriocaulaceae Typhaceae	Aizoaceae Asteraceae Paeoniaceae Passifloraceae Primulaceae Rosaceae Caryophyllaceae Geraniaceae Onagraceae Lythraceae Typhaceae	Asteraceae Resedaceae Lythraceae Ranunculaceae Onagraceae Brassicaceae Typhaceae	Asteraceae	Asteraceae Caryophyllaceae Ranunculaceae Rosaceae Gentianaceae Lythraceae Resedaceae Crassulaceae Geraniaceae	Asteraceae Caryophyllaceae

Do the flowers have petals?

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See leaf morphology sorter

Currently showing advanced Plates