About
GoBotany is a comprehensive botanical resource developed by Native Plant Trust, designed to help anyone identify, learn about, and connect with the native plants of New England. Whether you're a beginner naturalist or an experienced botanist, GoBotany provides tools scaled to your expertise level. The Simple Key makes plant identification accessible to all — observe your plant, answer guided questions, and narrow down from over 1,200 common native and naturalized species. For more advanced users, the Full Key and Dichotomous Key provide access to over 3,000 species organized by families, genera, and species, including subspecies and regional varieties. PlantShare, the platform's social community, lets users share plant sightings, seek identification help, collaborate on field surveys, and build checklists for specific sites. It's a valuable space for naturalists, students, and researchers to connect and learn together. GoBotany also supports both formal and informal education with dedicated teaching tools. Teachers, professors, and amateur educators can share curricula and lesson ideas, making it a go-to resource for science classrooms and self-directed learners alike. A daily "Plant of the Day" feature highlights individual species with detailed botanical and ecological profiles. The platform is free to use, supported in part by the National Science Foundation and community donations. It is especially valuable for conservation efforts, ecological field work, nature education, and botanical research across the northeastern United States.
Key Features
- Simple Key: A guided, question-based identification tool that helps users identify over 1,200 common native and naturalized New England plants step by step.
- Full Key & Dichotomous Key: Advanced identification tools covering over 3,000 plant species, including subspecies and regional varieties, organized by families, genera, and species.
- PlantShare Community: An online platform where users can share plant sightings, collaborate on field surveys, get identification help, and develop site-specific plant checklists.
- Teaching Tools: Dedicated resources for educators and students to support formal and informal botany education, including curricula sharing and self-directed learning materials.
- Plant of the Day: A daily featured species profile with detailed botanical, ecological, and ethnobotanical information to help users continuously learn about New England's flora.
Use Cases
- Identifying unknown native or naturalized plants encountered during hikes, nature walks, or field trips in New England
- Conducting botanical field surveys and creating site-specific plant checklists for conservation or ecological research projects
- Teaching botany in K-12 or university classrooms using guided identification tools and shareable curricula
- Sharing plant sightings and collaborating with fellow naturalists and botanists through the PlantShare community
- Self-directed learning about New England's native flora, including species ecology, regional distribution, and ethnobotanical history
Pros
- Free to Use: Completely free and supported by the National Science Foundation and donations, making high-quality botanical resources accessible to everyone.
- Extensive Plant Database: Covers over 3,000 native and naturalized New England plant species, including subspecies and regional varieties, one of the most thorough regional databases available.
- Multiple Skill Levels Supported: Offers tools ranging from a beginner-friendly Simple Key to the advanced Dichotomous Key, accommodating learners at every stage of botanical expertise.
- Active Learning Community: PlantShare enables real collaboration, plant sighting sharing, and peer identification assistance from a passionate community of plant enthusiasts.
Cons
- Limited to New England: The plant database covers only New England species, making the tool of limited value to users identifying plants in other regions of the world.
- Donation-Dependent Sustainability: As a donation-supported platform, long-term maintenance and feature updates rely on continued community funding rather than a stable revenue model.
- No Dedicated Mobile App: GoBotany is web-based only with no native iOS or Android app, which limits convenient offline use during field identification.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many plants can I identify with GoBotany?
GoBotany's Simple Key covers over 1,200 common native and naturalized New England plants, while the Full Key and Dichotomous Key together provide access to over 3,000 species, including subspecies and regional varieties.
Is GoBotany free to use?
Yes, GoBotany is completely free. The platform is supported in part by the National Science Foundation and relies on user donations to remain free and up to date.
What is PlantShare?
PlantShare is GoBotany's online community where users can share plant sightings, request help with identification, collaborate on field surveys, and develop plant checklists for specific locations they are exploring.
Can teachers use GoBotany in the classroom?
Yes, GoBotany includes dedicated teaching tools that allow professors, teachers, and informal educators to share curricula and teaching ideas, making it well-suited for science classrooms and self-directed botanical learners.
Does GoBotany cover plants outside of New England?
No, GoBotany focuses exclusively on native and naturalized plants of New England, so it is best used by those identifying or studying flora in the northeastern United States.
