How to Use Wildflower Search to Identify a Wildflower

Wildflower Search identifies plants by narrowing a database using the conditions you can observe: where you found the flower, when you found it, and what it looks like. You set those criteria on the search page, then review the matches. It works best when you can supply a location and a date, because those two filters cut the candidate list faster than color or shape alone.

Step 1: Set the location

The search page offers several ways to tell the site where the flower was found:

• Set New Location — use this to place yourself at a known spot.
• Enter Coordinates — type the latitude and longitude directly. The site states that most formats are accepted, and shows examples such as 36.056316, -112.08046, 36° 3′ 22.77′′ N, 112° 4′ 49.66′′ W, and 36 3 22.77, 112 4 49.66.
• Plant Elevation — enter the elevation within 500 feet of where the flower was found. You can submit the value in feet or in meters, and pressing any value ignores elevation entirely.

If you do not know the coordinates, a phone's map app or a GPS reading from your photo's metadata will give you a decimal pair that fits the first example format.

Step 2: Set the observation time

Click the calendar to set when you saw the plant. You can pick a specific date, or use the Month / Week selector with options like January 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Last, and so on. There is also Now for the current week and Any Time to turn the time filter off.

Time matters because flowering periods differ by species and region. A plant in bloom in April in one area may not be flowering there in August.

Step 3: Describe the plant

The filters below the location and time fields let you describe what you saw. Each one you set removes plants that do not match.

Two notes from the site itself are worth keeping in mind:

• Size is approximate. Botanical descriptions often omit flower size, so some size data may be wrong. If you don't carry a ruler, a quarter is about an inch in diameter.
• Measure a single flower, not the cluster. When a plant has clusters of small flowers, measure one flower even if it is tiny. Plants with flowers that are not obvious are placed in the "Very Small" category.

Habitat descriptions on the page are written in plain terms — for example, Disturbed covers roadsides, railroads, burned areas, and vacant lots, while Alpine means growing above timberline. Pick the one that matches where you actually stood.

Step 4: Submit and review matches

After setting your criteria, submit the search and look through the results. Each match is a candidate, not a verdict. If the list is long, add another filter you are confident about (color and petal count are usually the easiest to judge from a photo). If the list is empty, loosen a filter — elevation and exact date are the most common reasons for no results.

Common snags

• No location yet. The page shows a default location (the example excerpt shows Ashburn) until you set your own. Confirm the location field reflects where you actually found the plant before trusting the results.
• Elevation left on. If you are unsure of the elevation, ignore it rather than guessing; a wrong value within the 500-foot window can exclude the correct plant.
• Time filter too narrow. If you only remember the month, use the month-level option instead of a specific week.
• Color disagreements. Lighting, age, and variety can shift apparent color. If nothing matches, try the neighboring color or drop the color filter and rely on location, time, and shape.

The site also has an Instructions link on the search page and a Login option; the excerpt does not describe what an account adds, so treat login as optional unless you find you need it.