How to Identify Herbs, Flowers, and Plants in the Wild

Carefully examine a plant's characteristics to identify it.

One of the best activities when hiking is discovering the world of native plants. Many herbs, flowers and plants are found only in specific areas in the wild and identifying them is simple with a regional plant guide and some notes, sketches or photographs. Sign up for a class to better understand species in your area and find plants and herbs that are medicinal or edible.

Things You'll Need

• Notebook
• Pencil
• Digital camera
• Field guide

Instructions

1. Observe the flowers of the plant you are interested in identifying. Carry a notebook on walks or hikes to draw the plants you find. Depending on the area, picking or removing plants may be unlawful. Draw the flower and note the color, petal size, number of petals, petal shape or if it has a spur, which is a spiky growth extending from the flower.

2. Examine the leaves and their arrangement. If they are mostly near the base of the plant, it is considered basal. Draw the shape of the leaves and note whether they are round or more linear. Notice the texture of the leaves and their vein structure. Look for a petiole, which is a stalk that the leaf connects to before the stem.

3. Look for thorns on the stem. Note the color and special markings on the stem. Draw the stem in your notebook.

4. Examine the plant or herb for berries or fruit. Draw the shape and any special details, such as hairiness or powdery exterior. Note the color of the berries or fruit and observe if it is a compound fruit, which is made up of many smaller components like a blackberry.

5. Observe any seeds on the unknown plant. Draw the shape and note its color and texture. Look for any modes of transportation, such as burs, which are spiky barbs that attach to animal fur, or parachutes that allow it to capture the wind, such as dandelion.

6. Capture the herb, flower or plant with a digital camera if you do not have a notebook with you. Look through a plant field guide such as "Botany in a Day" or "North American Wildland Plants" to find the unknown plant with your notes, drawings or photographs.

7. Identify the herb, flower or plant from an online field guide database, such as the National Wildlife Federation's eNature website or the USDA's Plant Database. Take your information to a local university's biology department and ask a botanist.

Tips & Warnings

• Join a local wild plant society. Groups such as the California Native Plant Society or Louisiana Native Plant Society have local chapters that have information about plants in the area. They offer field trips to look for wild plants and invite lecturers to educate members.

• Ask a local plant nursery that sells native plants to help with identifying your plant.

• Bring a map with you on your hike and mark where you saw the unknown plant. Note what kind of habitat, such as wetlands or woodlands, the plant is growing in.

• Do not eat anything that you find in the wild unless you are positive of its safety.

References

• Mountain Nature: Learning to Recognize Plants
• Wilderness Survival: Universal Edibility Test
• New York Times: The Claim: Exposure to Plants and Parks Can Boost Immunity"; Anahad O'Connor, July 2010
• City of Memphis: Sec. 23-67. Injuring or Picking Flowers, Plants, Etc.

Resources

• "Botany In A Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification"; Thomas J. Elpel, 2004
• "North American Wildland Plants"; James Stubbendieck et al., 2004
• ENature: Field Guides
• USDA: Plants Database