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Plant ID Request

Have you found a plant that you can’t identify? We can help! Send us a photo of the plant along with the other information listed below. We’ll let the experts take a look at it and post the results (or an educated guess) on our “Identified Plants” page!

*** Please submit requests and photos of plants growing in the wild… no potted houseplants or nursery plants.

You may also want to check Name That Plant, a native plant identification website created by SC Native Plant Society member Janie Marlow.

Click here to view recently identified plants.

Rules for submitting your inquiry

  1. Get close enough to photograph some detail. Put something in the picture for scale, such as a coin or pencil.
  2. Get a shot of the overall plant.
  3. Photograph leaves, stems, and flowers (if blooming) from the top and from the side.
  4. Tell us where and when you took the picture and what kind of site you found it on. (Deep shade, wetland, dry site, roadside, etc.)
  5. Use the submittal form at the bottom of this page to submit your request and to upload digital image(s).
  6. Send digital images in JPEG format.
  7. Please be aware that we are unable to identify mosses, lichens, algae, and mushrooms or other fungi.
  8. PLEASE SUBMIT NO MORE THAN 1 REQUEST PER PERSON PER DAY. Dr. Hill is available as a private consultant for hire for special projects with larger numbers of images or plant identifications. Contact him directly to arrange for such projects.

Dr. Steven R. Hill is a botanist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. Formerly the Curator of the Clemson University Herbarium (1987-1994), he is still a member of SCNPS, a land owner in Oconee County, and he plans to retire in South Carolina.

Please use the form below to submit your ID request.  Most responses from Dr. Hill will be published on the website (see recently identified plants) but unfortunately we can’t publish them all due to volume. Thank you!

  • example: John in SC
  • Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, png, gif.
  • Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, Max. file size: 100 MB.
  • Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, Max. file size: 100 MB.
  • Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, Max. file size: 100 MB.