Leafsnap

Leafsnap: Identify Tree Species with Leaf Photos

Mobile app uses visual recognition software to identify tree species from leaf photos, providing accurate results for users.

What is Leafsnap?

Leafsnap is a free mobile app developed in collaboration between researchers from Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institution. The app allows users to identify tree species from photographs of their leaves. Leafsnap uses visual recognition software to compare the leaf images uploaded by users to a large database of leaf images with known species information.

To use the Leafsnap app, users simply snap a photo of a leaf on a white background using their mobile device camera. The app then analyzes the uploaded image and compares its shape, texture, vein pattern, and other distinguishing features to images stored in the Leafsnap database. Within seconds, the species name for the leaf is returned, along with high-resolution photos and information describing the tree species.

The Leafsnap database currently contains the leaf architectures for over 185 tree species native to the Northeastern United States. More species from the Western US and Canada will be added in the future as the app and database continue to expand. By helping users identify tree species, Leafsnap aims to interest and educate the public about the unique biodiversity around them.

Leafsnap Features

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