Plant identification is a lot trickier than I thought it would be. I have been running into a lot of problems. But I’ve also been thinking about potential solutions.
Problem: Identifying from a picture doesn’t always work well, because the picture never shows all parts of the plant, and sometimes the missing parts are the ones you need for an accurate identification. Details that ought to be visible, such as hairs on a leaf, don’t always come through in a picture. Some plants are more easily identified by smell (“spicy,” “minty,” etc.) or touch (“soft,” “sticky,” etc.), which a picture can’t convey. Also, sometimes the photographed plants aren’t good representative specimens.
Solution: Try to remember to take shots from multiple angles and always, at least, include the leaves. Take pictures of several specimens. Also, try to remember where they were located so you can go back later to see how the plant has changed or to check on a detail. You’re too lazy to keep a field journal, but your memory ought to be up to the task.
Problem: There are too many species! Broad identifications are often fairly easy. But there are so many species to consider, and often hybrids, too. Telling them apart is difficult, sometimes impossible for an amateur.
Solution: Keep your personal goals in mind. Only get as specific as necessary to meet those goals. You’re not going to eat (usually) or market the plants, and you’re not trying to write a textbook. Just try to figure out roughly what it is and whether or not it’s poisonous.
Problem: I don’t know the botanical lingo, and I don’t want to learn it. I’m a word nerd and usually I like knowing words, but honestly, most scientific jargon bores me.
Solution: Learn the most common terms, enough not to sound like an idiot, but continue to ignore the rest. You have too many things to do. You don’t have time to become a botanical expert, and no one expects you to.
Problem: The field guides and websites, however good they may be, have some major oversights. The Wildflowers of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island that I borrowed from the library doesn’t include any hawkweeds. The CT Botanical Society’s website lists five hawkweeds, but not yellow woodsorrel. My National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers: Eastern Region has three hawkweeds and yellow woodsorrel, but it left me high-and-dry when I was trying to identify mild water-pepper.
Solution: Don’t rely on any one source exclusively.