Leaf Snap: A Tree and Leaf ID App Using Your Phone
Identifying Leaves with Technology
During the fall it's a natural time of year to think about leaves. If you are hiking in the field you may want to consider a leaf identification app called Leaf Snap http://leafsnap.com/. This app can be used with iPhone or Android and is free. It is designed to help with tree identification using leaves. I like the ease of use with the program, it is easy to navigate and get around the different offerings. When you open the app it allows you to brows different species of trees, check out your collection of photos, and options about photo size/user/etc. The main feature is the "Snap It" Icon. The only upshot to the snap-it function is that you can't just take a picture of a leaf outside on a tree, you have to put a single leaf on a white background. if you're in the field I'd suggest carrying a folded piece of paper or small notebook. When you take the picture the image is uploaded to their site, so those on limited data plans should take this as a consideration. Once the photo uploads the program then tries to identify your leaf with the closest match of the actual species.