Plant Identification
MountainNature.com is designed to make identification fast and easy. If you know the common or Latin name of the plant you are seeking, simply use the quick search lists below. All of the plants in our database can be selected in this manner. If you would like a more interactive approach to identification, use one of the other keys provide for your convenience.
Quick Search
If you already know the common or Latin name of the plant you wish to view. select it from the following drop down lists.
Our Primary Key--Browse Plants by Colour or Group
This interactive key will take you step-by-step through the following identification process.
- Select the major grouping of tree, shrub or flower colour
- This will take you to a list of descriptions that break down this group further. For instance, trees are broken down into categories such as Needles Flat, Needles Square, Needles Scale-like, Needles in Groups of Two, Needles in Groups of Five, Needles in Groups of 30-40, Simple Leaves and finally Compound Leaves. Simply select the description that most closely matches your plant
- The final stage in the selection is to pick from the list of plants that match your selections. At this point, there will only be a few to choose from, so identification is close at hand.
- Select the name of the plant and go directly to its field guide page.
Browse Plants by Family
If you know the family the plant belongs to, than this key may help you narrow down your search. After selecting the family, you will be given a list of family members that can be found in the mountains.
Browse Plants by Common Name
This key is designed for selecting a plant based on its common name. While you can simply select it from the drop down list in the quick search, sometimes it is preferable to browse by common names. In this case, simply pick the major grouping from step 1. This will bring up a list of related plants, such as all the violets. Here you can select the violet you wish to see and it will bring up its field guide page.
Browse Plants by Genus
Like the previous key, you can bypass this key if you know the Latin name of your plant. Sometimes, it is preferable to break down the entire Genus of a plant so that, again, you can view a list of related plants. Once you select a genus, you will be taken to a list of plants within that Genus. Select the one you want and go directly to its field guide page.
All Material © Ward Cameron 2005