USDA PLANTS

Look up any plant in the USDA PLANTS Database - the federal record of every plant in the United States and its territories. Search by common name, scientific name or symbol and get the accepted name, the family, whether it is native or introduced where you are, how it grows, what it tolerates and when it blooms. Check in one step whether a plant is a regulated noxious weed, listed as invasive, or protected as threatened or endangered, in any state or federally - or pull a state's whole weed list to check a catalogue against. Wetland indicator status, photographs and USDA's own fact sheets come back as links you can send. No account and no API key: it is public data from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Actions

Action	What it does
Check a plant's legal status	Answer "may I plant this here, and must I remove it?" in one step.
Find plants	Search the USDA PLANTS database by any part of a name.
Get a plant	Get USDA's record for one plant: its accepted scientific name, its common names, its family and genus, whether it is a tree, a shrub or a herb, whether it lives one year or many, and whether it is native or introduced in each region of the United States and Canada.
Get a plant's other names	Get every name USDA files under one plant: its accepted scientific name, the older scientific names it has been published under, its common names, and the subspecies and varieties named beneath it.
Get fact sheets and links	Get everywhere to read more about a plant: USDA's own fact sheet and plant guide PDFs, and every resource its PLANTS page links out to - state extension fact sheets, the Forest Service's fire effects reports, herbarium records, invasive species profiles.
Get growing conditions	Get what USDA records about how a plant grows: the soil textures and pH range it tolerates, how much drought, shade, salt and fire it takes, how fast it grows and how tall it gets, when it blooms and what colour, how it is propagated, and what it is used for.
Get photos	Get the photographs on a plant's USDA page as URLs you can put in an email, a card or a report, in four sizes, each with the photographer, where it was taken, whether it is copyrighted and a ready-made credit line.
Get wetland status	Get a plant's wetland indicator status - how reliably it turns up in a wetland rather than on dry ground - for every region of the National Wetland Plant List, or for one region you choose.
List a state's regulated plants	Get a state's whole noxious-weed list, or its whole list of plants published as invasive, each plant with the class or category that state gives it and the older names it also goes by.

Check a plant's legal status

Answer "may I plant this here, and must I remove it?" in one step. USDA keeps three separate lists - the noxious weeds a state regulates by law, the plants it publishes as invasive, and the species protected as threatened or endangered - and this reads all three and reports them together, with a one-sentence summary you can put straight into a message. Narrow it to a state to get the answer for that state alone. No API key required.

Inputs

PlantplanttextRequired: Name it however you have it: a common name (white oak), a scientific name (Quercus alba), or its PLANTS symbol (QUAL). An older scientific name works too - Pueraria lobata finds the plant it is now filed under. A name that fits several different plants is reported with the ones it fits, rather than one of them being picked for you.
Statestatetext: Optional. Leave it empty to get every state that lists the plant. Choose one to get the answer for that state alone, with a summary written for it. "United States" covers the federal noxious weed list and the federal Endangered Species Act.

Outputs

common_nametext: The plant's main common name, or null. Many plants have none, so fall back to scientific_name when writing a sentence.
invasive_inlist: Every place that publishes it as invasive. An invasive listing is usually advice rather than law, though some states prohibit as well.
is_federally_noxioustrue/false: Whether it is on the federal noxious weed list, which applies everywhere in the United States.
is_federally_protectedtrue/false: Whether it is listed under the federal Endangered Species Act.
is_invasivetrue/false: Whether any place lists it as invasive.
is_noxioustrue/false: Whether any place regulates it as noxious.
is_protectedtrue/false: Whether any place protects it.
is_regulatedtrue/false: Noxious or invasive anywhere in scope: the single flag to branch a "do not plant" rule on.
matched_ontext: How the query found this plant: "symbol", "common name", "scientific name" or "search". Worth checking when a workflow feeds in names typed by people.
noxious_inlist: Every place that regulates it as a noxious weed. A noxious listing is law: it usually restricts sale, transport or planting.
profile_urltext: The plant's page on plants.usda.gov, ready to link to.
protected_inlist: Every place that protects it as threatened, endangered or similar.
querytext: The text that was looked up, exactly as it was given.
ranktext: Where it sits in the hierarchy: "Species", "Variety", "Genus".
scientific_nametext: The botanical name on its own, e.g. "Quercus alba" - the form to print. The naming authority is in scientific_name_with_author.
scientific_name_with_authortext: The full name including the naming authority, e.g. "Quercus alba L.". Use it in a citation; use scientific_name everywhere else.
statetext: The state the answer was narrowed to, or null.
summarytext: The whole answer in one sentence, e.g. "kudzu is listed as invasive in 5 states - Connecticut, Missouri, New York and 2 more." This is the field to put in an email.
symboltext: The plant's USDA PLANTS symbol, e.g. "QUAL". This is the shortest way to name the same plant in a later step.

Example output

{
  "common_name": "kudzu",
  "invasive_in": [
    {
      "listed_as": "Prohibited",
      "place": "New York",
      "statuses": [
        "Prohibited"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "is_federally_noxious": false,
  "is_federally_protected": false,
  "is_invasive": true,
  "is_noxious": false,
  "is_protected": false,
  "is_regulated": true,
  "matched_on": "common name",
  "noxious_in": [],
  "profile_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/PUMO",
  "protected_in": [],
  "query": "kudzu",
  "rank": "Species",
  "scientific_name": "Pueraria montana",
  "scientific_name_with_author": "Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr.",
  "state": "New York",
  "summary": "kudzu is listed as invasive (Prohibited) in New York.",
  "symbol": "PUMO"
}

Find plants

Search the USDA PLANTS database by any part of a name. It matches common names, scientific names and PLANTS symbols at once, so "milkweed", "Asclepias" and "ASCLE" all find the milkweeds, and older scientific names find the plant they were renamed to. Every result comes back with its symbol, its botanical name without the naming authority, and a link to its page - so this is the step that turns what somebody typed into something the other steps can use. No API key required.

Inputs

Search forquerytextRequired: Part of a common name, a scientific name or a symbol. At least three characters: the database matches anywhere in a name, so one or two would match tens of thousands of plants.
How many resultslimitnumber: How many matches to return. 25 by default, up to 200.From 1 to 200. Default: 25.

Outputs

match_countnumber: How many are in matches.
matcheslist: The plants that matched, exact matches first and the species ahead of the genus and varieties that share its name.
querytext: The text that was searched for.
total_matchesnumber: How many matched altogether.
truncatedtrue/false: Whether the limit cut the list short.

Example output

{
  "match_count": 1,
  "matches": [
    {
      "common_name": "white oak",
      "matched_on": "common name",
      "matched_text": "white oak",
      "profile_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/QUAL",
      "rank": "Species",
      "scientific_name": "Quercus alba",
      "scientific_name_with_author": "Quercus alba L.",
      "symbol": "QUAL"
    }
  ],
  "query": "white oak",
  "total_matches": 9,
  "truncated": true
}

Get a plant

Get USDA's record for one plant: its accepted scientific name, its common names, its family and genus, whether it is a tree, a shrub or a herb, whether it lives one year or many, and whether it is native or introduced in each region of the United States and Canada. USDA's own fact sheet and plant guide PDFs come back as links when it has them, along with a photograph and the page on plants.usda.gov. Give an older scientific name and you get the plant it is now filed under. No API key required.

Inputs

PlantplanttextRequired: Name it however you have it: a common name (white oak), a scientific name (Quercus alba), or its PLANTS symbol (QUAL). An older scientific name works too - Pueraria lobata finds the plant it is now filed under. A name that fits several different plants is reported with the ones it fits, rather than one of them being picked for you.

Outputs

availableobject: Which of the other steps will find anything for this plant. USDA holds detail for a minority of its records, so branching on these asks only the questions that have answers.
classificationlist: The full lineage from kingdom down to this plant, in order.
common_nametext: The plant's main common name, or null. Many plants have none, so fall back to scientific_name when writing a sentence.
durationslist: How long it lives: Annual, Biennial, Perennial. Some plants are more than one.
fact_sheet_urlslist: USDA fact sheet PDFs for this plant.
familytext: The botanical family, e.g. "Fagaceae".
genustext: The genus.
grouptext: The broad kind of plant: "Dicot", "Monocot", "Gymnosperm", "Fern", "Moss", "Lichen".
growth_habitslist: What it grows as: Tree, Shrub, Vine, Forb/herb, Graminoid, Subshrub.
matched_ontext: How the query found this plant: "symbol", "common name", "scientific name" or "search". Worth checking when a workflow feeds in names typed by people.
native_statuseslist: Whether it is native or introduced, region by region. This is the field to branch on when choosing plants for a restoration.
notestext: USDA's own note about the plant, or null.
other_common_nameslist: Every other common name USDA records.
photo_urltext: The photograph USDA leads the plant's page with, or null. Get photos returns the rest.
plant_guide_urlslist: USDA plant guide PDFs - longer than a fact sheet, covering uses, culture and management.
profile_urltext: The plant's page on plants.usda.gov, ready to link to.
querytext: The text that was looked up, exactly as it was given.
ranktext: Where it sits in the hierarchy: "Species", "Variety", "Genus".
scientific_nametext: The botanical name on its own, e.g. "Quercus alba" - the form to print. The naming authority is in scientific_name_with_author.
scientific_name_with_authortext: The full name including the naming authority, e.g. "Quercus alba L.". Use it in a citation; use scientific_name everywhere else.
symboltext: The plant's USDA PLANTS symbol, e.g. "QUAL". This is the shortest way to name the same plant in a later step.

Example output

{
  "available": {
    "growing_conditions": true,
    "invasive_listings": false,
    "noxious_listings": false,
    "other_names": true,
    "photos": true,
    "protections": false,
    "references": true,
    "wetland_status": true
  },
  "classification": [
    {
      "common_name": "Beech family",
      "name": "Fagaceae",
      "rank": "Family"
    },
    {
      "common_name": "oak",
      "name": "Quercus",
      "rank": "Genus"
    },
    {
      "common_name": "white oak",
      "name": "Quercus alba",
      "rank": "Species"
    }
  ],
  "common_name": "white oak",
  "durations": [
    "Perennial"
  ],
  "fact_sheet_urls": [
    "https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_qual.pdf"
  ],
  "family": "Fagaceae",
  "genus": "Quercus",
  "group": "Dicot",
  "growth_habits": [
    "Tree"
  ],
  "matched_on": "common name",
  "native_statuses": [
    {
      "region": "Lower 48 states",
      "region_code": "L48",
      "status": "Native",
      "status_code": "N"
    }
  ],
  "notes": null,
  "other_common_names": [],
  "photo_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/ImageLibrary/standard/qual_005_shp.jpg",
  "plant_guide_urls": [],
  "profile_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/QUAL",
  "query": "white oak",
  "rank": "Species",
  "scientific_name": "Quercus alba",
  "scientific_name_with_author": "Quercus alba L.",
  "symbol": "QUAL"
}

Get a plant's other names

Get every name USDA files under one plant: its accepted scientific name, the older scientific names it has been published under, its common names, and the subspecies and varieties named beneath it. This is the step for cleaning up a plant list - feed in whatever name a spreadsheet or a supplier used and get back the name it should be, plus the other spellings to match on. No API key required.

Inputs

PlantplanttextRequired: Name it however you have it: a common name (white oak), a scientific name (Quercus alba), or its PLANTS symbol (QUAL). An older scientific name works too - Pueraria lobata finds the plant it is now filed under. A name that fits several different plants is reported with the ones it fits, rather than one of them being picked for you.
How many varietieslimitnumber: How many subspecies and varieties to return. A large genus has hundreds. 50 by default, up to 200.From 1 to 200. Default: 50.

Outputs

accepted_nametext: The name USDA treats as current. The same value as scientific_name, named for what it is so a name-cleaning step reads clearly.
accepted_symboltext: That name's symbol.
common_nametext: The plant's main common name, or null. Many plants have none, so fall back to scientific_name when writing a sentence.
common_nameslist: Every common name USDA records.
matched_ontext: How the query found this plant: "symbol", "common name", "scientific name" or "search". Worth checking when a workflow feeds in names typed by people.
more_varietiestrue/false: Whether there are more than the limit allowed. USDA publishes no total, so this is how to tell.
profile_urltext: The plant's page on plants.usda.gov, ready to link to.
querytext: The text that was looked up, exactly as it was given.
ranktext: Where it sits in the hierarchy: "Species", "Variety", "Genus".
resolved_fromtext: The name that was given, when it differs from the accepted one - so a workflow can flag the rows it changed. Null when they are the same.
scientific_nametext: The botanical name on its own, e.g. "Quercus alba" - the form to print. The naming authority is in scientific_name_with_author.
scientific_name_with_authortext: The full name including the naming authority, e.g. "Quercus alba L.". Use it in a citation; use scientific_name everywhere else.
symboltext: The plant's USDA PLANTS symbol, e.g. "QUAL". This is the shortest way to name the same plant in a later step.
synonym_countnumber: How many older names there are.
synonymslist: Older scientific names for the same plant. A catalogue or a survey may still use one of these.
varietieslist: The subspecies, varieties and forms named beneath this plant - or, for a genus, the species in it.
variety_countnumber: How many are in varieties.

Example output

{
  "accepted_name": "Pueraria montana var. lobata",
  "accepted_symbol": "PUMOL",
  "common_name": "kudzu",
  "common_names": [
    "kudzu"
  ],
  "matched_on": "scientific name",
  "more_varieties": false,
  "profile_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/PUMOL",
  "query": "Pueraria lobata",
  "rank": "Variety",
  "resolved_from": "Pueraria lobata",
  "scientific_name": "Pueraria montana var. lobata",
  "scientific_name_with_author": "Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. var. lobata (Willd.) Maesen & S.M. Almeida ex Sanjappa & Predeep",
  "symbol": "PUMOL",
  "synonym_count": 5,
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "common_name": null,
      "profile_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/PULO",
      "rank": "Species",
      "scientific_name": "Pueraria lobata",
      "scientific_name_with_author": "Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi",
      "symbol": "PULO"
    }
  ],
  "varieties": [],
  "variety_count": 0
}

Get fact sheets and links

Get everywhere to read more about a plant: USDA's own fact sheet and plant guide PDFs, and every resource its PLANTS page links out to - state extension fact sheets, the Forest Service's fire effects reports, herbarium records, invasive species profiles. This is what to attach when a workflow emails a landowner or a crew about a species. No API key required.

Inputs

PlantplanttextRequired: Name it however you have it: a common name (white oak), a scientific name (Quercus alba), or its PLANTS symbol (QUAL). An older scientific name works too - Pueraria lobata finds the plant it is now filed under. A name that fits several different plants is reported with the ones it fits, rather than one of them being picked for you.
How many linkslimitnumber: How many outside links to return. The fact sheets and plant guides always come back in full. 50 by default, up to 200.From 1 to 200. Default: 50.

Outputs

common_nametext: The plant's main common name, or null. Many plants have none, so fall back to scientific_name when writing a sentence.
document_countnumber: How many USDA documents there are.
documentslist: USDA's own PDFs for this plant. A fact sheet is a page or two; a plant guide is longer and covers uses, culture and management.
link_countnumber: How many are in links.
linkslist: Everywhere else the plant's page points.
matched_ontext: How the query found this plant: "symbol", "common name", "scientific name" or "search". Worth checking when a workflow feeds in names typed by people.
profile_urltext: The plant's page on plants.usda.gov, ready to link to.
querytext: The text that was looked up, exactly as it was given.
ranktext: Where it sits in the hierarchy: "Species", "Variety", "Genus".
scientific_nametext: The botanical name on its own, e.g. "Quercus alba" - the form to print. The naming authority is in scientific_name_with_author.
scientific_name_with_authortext: The full name including the naming authority, e.g. "Quercus alba L.". Use it in a citation; use scientific_name everywhere else.
symboltext: The plant's USDA PLANTS symbol, e.g. "QUAL". This is the shortest way to name the same plant in a later step.
total_linksnumber: How many links the page carries altogether.
truncatedtrue/false: Whether the limit cut the links short.

Example output

{
  "common_name": "white oak",
  "document_count": 1,
  "documents": [
    {
      "kind": "fact sheet",
      "title": "USDA fact sheet",
      "url": "https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_qual.pdf"
    }
  ],
  "link_count": 1,
  "links": [
    {
      "symbol": "QUAL",
      "title": "USDA Forest Service-Silvics of North America",
      "url": "http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/table_of_contents.htm"
    }
  ],
  "matched_on": "common name",
  "profile_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/QUAL",
  "query": "white oak",
  "rank": "Species",
  "scientific_name": "Quercus alba",
  "scientific_name_with_author": "Quercus alba L.",
  "symbol": "QUAL",
  "total_links": 32,
  "truncated": true
}

Get growing conditions

Get what USDA records about how a plant grows: the soil textures and pH range it tolerates, how much drought, shade, salt and fire it takes, how fast it grows and how tall it gets, when it blooms and what colour, how it is propagated, and what it is used for. Up to 81 attributes, grouped the way USDA groups them, with the dozen a workflow usually branches on lifted to the top so drought tolerance is a field rather than a row to go hunting for. USDA has this detail for a minority of its plants; the record says when it has none. No API key required.

Inputs

PlantplanttextRequired: Name it however you have it: a common name (white oak), a scientific name (Quercus alba), or its PLANTS symbol (QUAL). An older scientific name works too - Pueraria lobata finds the plant it is now filed under. A name that fits several different plants is reported with the ones it fits, rather than one of them being picked for you.

Outputs

bloom_periodtext: When it flowers, e.g. "Mid Spring".
categorieslist: Every attribute, grouped as USDA groups them: Morphology/Physiology, Growth Requirements, Reproduction, Suitability/Use.
characteristic_countnumber: How many attributes USDA has recorded.
characteristicsobject: Every attribute again, keyed by a simplified name: characteristics.seed_per_pound, characteristics.fruit_seed_period_begin. Use this to read one attribute that is not in the fields above.
common_nametext: The plant's main common name, or null. Many plants have none, so fall back to scientific_name when writing a sentence.
drought_tolerancetext: None, Low, Medium or High.
fire_tolerancetext: None, Low, Medium or High.
flower_colortext: Flower colour.
foliage_colortext: Leaf colour.
growth_habittext: How it is shaped, e.g. "Single Stem", "Bunch".
growth_ratetext: Slow, Moderate or Rapid.
has_growing_conditionstrue/false: False when USDA holds none for this plant, which is common. Branch on it rather than on an empty field.
lifespantext: Short, Moderate or Long.
matched_ontext: How the query found this plant: "symbol", "common name", "scientific name" or "search". Worth checking when a workflow feeds in names typed by people.
mature_height_feettext: How tall it gets, in feet.
minimum_temperature_ftext: The coldest it survives, in °F.
moisture_usetext: How much water it draws: Low, Medium or High.
ph_maximumtext: The highest soil pH it tolerates.
ph_minimumtext: The lowest soil pH it tolerates.
ph_rangetext: Both bounds as one phrase, e.g. "4.5 to 6.8" - the form a soil report is read in.
profile_urltext: The plant's page on plants.usda.gov, ready to link to.
querytext: The text that was looked up, exactly as it was given.
ranktext: Where it sits in the hierarchy: "Species", "Variety", "Genus".
salinity_tolerancetext: None, Low, Medium or High.
scientific_nametext: The botanical name on its own, e.g. "Quercus alba" - the form to print. The naming authority is in scientific_name_with_author.
scientific_name_with_authortext: The full name including the naming authority, e.g. "Quercus alba L.". Use it in a citation; use scientific_name everywhere else.
shade_tolerancetext: Intolerant, Intermediate or Tolerant.
symboltext: The plant's USDA PLANTS symbol, e.g. "QUAL". This is the shortest way to name the same plant in a later step.
toxicitytext: None, Slight, Moderate or Severe.

Example output

{
  "bloom_period": "Mid Spring",
  "categories": [
    {
      "category": "Growth Requirements",
      "characteristics": [
        {
          "name": "Drought Tolerance",
          "value": "Medium"
        },
        {
          "name": "Shade Tolerance",
          "value": "Medium"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "characteristic_count": 81,
  "characteristics": {
    "drought_tolerance": "Medium",
    "shade_tolerance": "Medium"
  },
  "common_name": "white oak",
  "drought_tolerance": "Medium",
  "fire_tolerance": "Medium",
  "flower_color": "Yellow",
  "foliage_color": "Green",
  "growth_habit": "Single Stem",
  "growth_rate": "Slow",
  "has_growing_conditions": true,
  "lifespan": "Long",
  "matched_on": "common name",
  "mature_height_feet": "100.0",
  "minimum_temperature_f": "-43",
  "moisture_use": "Medium",
  "ph_maximum": "6.8",
  "ph_minimum": "4.5",
  "ph_range": "4.5 to 6.8",
  "profile_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/QUAL",
  "query": "white oak",
  "rank": "Species",
  "salinity_tolerance": "Medium",
  "scientific_name": "Quercus alba",
  "scientific_name_with_author": "Quercus alba L.",
  "shade_tolerance": "Medium",
  "symbol": "QUAL",
  "toxicity": "None"
}

Get photos

Get the photographs on a plant's USDA page as URLs you can put in an email, a card or a report, in four sizes, each with the photographer, where it was taken, whether it is copyrighted and a ready-made credit line. USDA returns these as fragments of paths; they come back here as whole links. No API key required.

Inputs

PlantplanttextRequired: Name it however you have it: a common name (white oak), a scientific name (Quercus alba), or its PLANTS symbol (QUAL). An older scientific name works too - Pueraria lobata finds the plant it is now filed under. A name that fits several different plants is reported with the ones it fits, rather than one of them being picked for you.
How many photoslimitnumber: How many photographs to return. 20 by default, up to 100.From 1 to 100. Default: 20.

Outputs

common_nametext: The plant's main common name, or null. Many plants have none, so fall back to scientific_name when writing a sentence.
matched_ontext: How the query found this plant: "symbol", "common name", "scientific name" or "search". Worth checking when a workflow feeds in names typed by people.
photo_countnumber: How many are in photos.
photoslist: The photographs, in USDA's own order.
primary_photo_urltext: The first photograph's URL, for a step that wants one picture and not a list.
profile_urltext: The plant's page on plants.usda.gov, ready to link to.
querytext: The text that was looked up, exactly as it was given.
ranktext: Where it sits in the hierarchy: "Species", "Variety", "Genus".
scientific_nametext: The botanical name on its own, e.g. "Quercus alba" - the form to print. The naming authority is in scientific_name_with_author.
scientific_name_with_authortext: The full name including the naming authority, e.g. "Quercus alba L.". Use it in a citation; use scientific_name everywhere else.
symboltext: The plant's USDA PLANTS symbol, e.g. "QUAL". This is the shortest way to name the same plant in a later step.
total_photosnumber: How many USDA holds altogether.
truncatedtrue/false: Whether the limit cut the list short.

Example output

{
  "common_name": "white oak",
  "matched_on": "common name",
  "photo_count": 1,
  "photos": [
    {
      "caption": null,
      "credit": "Steve Hurst, ARS Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory. USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database.",
      "institution": "ARS Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory",
      "is_copyrighted": false,
      "large_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/ImageLibrary/large/qual_005_lhp.jpg",
      "location": "United States Georgia Columbia Co.",
      "original_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/ImageLibrary/original/qual_005_php.jpg",
      "photographer": "Steve Hurst",
      "provided_by": "ARS Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory",
      "taken_on": null,
      "thumbnail_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/ImageLibrary/thumbnail/qual_005_thp.jpg",
      "url": "https://plants.usda.gov/ImageLibrary/standard/qual_005_shp.jpg"
    }
  ],
  "primary_photo_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/ImageLibrary/standard/qual_005_shp.jpg",
  "profile_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/QUAL",
  "query": "white oak",
  "rank": "Species",
  "scientific_name": "Quercus alba",
  "scientific_name_with_author": "Quercus alba L.",
  "symbol": "QUAL",
  "total_photos": 31,
  "truncated": true
}

Get wetland status

Get a plant's wetland indicator status - how reliably it turns up in a wetland rather than on dry ground - for every region of the National Wetland Plant List, or for one region you choose. The bare codes (OBL, FACW, FAC, FACU, UPL) come back with what each one means in words, so the answer reads as "usually occurs in wetlands" rather than as an abbreviation. The same plant is rated differently in different regions, which is why the region matters. No API key required.

Inputs

PlantplanttextRequired: Name it however you have it: a common name (white oak), a scientific name (Quercus alba), or its PLANTS symbol (QUAL). An older scientific name works too - Pueraria lobata finds the plant it is now filed under. A name that fits several different plants is reported with the ones it fits, rather than one of them being picked for you.
Regionregiontext: Optional. Leave it empty for every region USDA rates the plant in. Choose one to get that region's rating on its own.

Outputs

common_nametext: The plant's main common name, or null. Many plants have none, so fall back to scientific_name when writing a sentence.
has_wetland_statustrue/false: False when USDA rates this plant nowhere, or nowhere in the region asked for.
matched_ontext: How the query found this plant: "symbol", "common name", "scientific name" or "search". Worth checking when a workflow feeds in names typed by people.
profile_urltext: The plant's page on plants.usda.gov, ready to link to.
querytext: The text that was looked up, exactly as it was given.
ranktext: Where it sits in the hierarchy: "Species", "Variety", "Genus".
regiontext: The region asked for, or null for all of them.
region_countnumber: How many ratings came back.
regionslist: One rating per region.
scientific_nametext: The botanical name on its own, e.g. "Quercus alba" - the form to print. The naming authority is in scientific_name_with_author.
scientific_name_with_authortext: The full name including the naming authority, e.g. "Quercus alba L.". Use it in a citation; use scientific_name everywhere else.
symboltext: The plant's USDA PLANTS symbol, e.g. "QUAL". This is the shortest way to name the same plant in a later step.

Example output

{
  "common_name": "kudzu",
  "has_wetland_status": true,
  "matched_on": "common name",
  "profile_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/PUMO",
  "query": "kudzu",
  "rank": "Species",
  "region": "Midwest",
  "region_count": 1,
  "regions": [
    {
      "code": "UPL",
      "indicator": "Obligate upland",
      "meaning": "Almost never occurs in wetlands",
      "region": "Midwest",
      "sub_region": null
    }
  ],
  "scientific_name": "Pueraria montana",
  "scientific_name_with_author": "Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr.",
  "symbol": "PUMO"
}

List a state's regulated plants

Get a state's whole noxious-weed list, or its whole list of plants published as invasive, each plant with the class or category that state gives it and the older names it also goes by. This is the list to check a nursery catalogue, a seed mix or a landscaping plan against. Choose the United States as the state to read the federal noxious weed list, which applies everywhere. No API key required.

Inputs

Which listlisttextRequired: Noxious weeds are regulated by law - a state usually restricts selling, moving or planting them. Invasive listings are published as guidance, though some states prohibit as well. They are different lists and a plant can be on one, both or neither.One of: noxious (Noxious weeds (regulated by law)), invasive (Plants listed as invasive). Default: noxious.
StatestatetextRequired: Whose list to read. Every state keeps both; the federal noxious weed list is under United States, on the noxious list only.
How many plantslimitnumber: How many plants to return. 100 by default, up to 500.From 1 to 500. Default: 100.

Outputs

listtext: "noxious" or "invasive".
list_nametext: The same in words, for a heading.
plant_countnumber: How many are in plants.
plantslist: The plants on that list, by scientific name.
statetext: The state, spelled as USDA spells it.
total_plantsnumber: How many are on the list altogether.
truncatedtrue/false: Whether the limit cut the list short.

Example output

{
  "list": "noxious",
  "list_name": "Noxious weeds",
  "plant_count": 1,
  "plants": [
    {
      "common_name": "ye gu",
      "family": "Orobanchaceae",
      "listed_as": "Noxious",
      "other_names": [],
      "profile_url": "https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/AEIN6",
      "rank": null,
      "scientific_name": "Aeginetia indica",
      "scientific_name_with_author": "Aeginetia indica L.",
      "statuses": [
        "Noxious"
      ],
      "symbol": "AEIN6"
    }
  ],
  "state": "United States",
  "total_plants": 120,
  "truncated": true
}

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Get a plant's other namesCopy Anchor Link

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Get fact sheets and linksCopy Anchor Link

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Get growing conditionsCopy Anchor Link

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Get photosCopy Anchor Link

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Get wetland statusCopy Anchor Link

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List a state's regulated plantsCopy Anchor Link

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Actions

Check a plant's legal status

Find plants

Get a plant

Get a plant's other names

Get fact sheets and links

Get growing conditions

Get photos

Get wetland status

List a state's regulated plants