PLANTS Database from the USDA

The PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories. It includes names, plant symbols, checklists, distributional data, species abstracts, characteristics, images, crop information, automated tools, onward Web links, and references. This information primarily promotes land conservation in the United States and its territories, but academic, educational, and general use is encouraged. PLANTS reduces government spending by minimizing duplication and making information exchange possible across agencies and disciplines.

PLANTS is a collaborative effort of the USDA NRCS National Plant Data Team (NPDT), the USDA NRCS Information Technology Center (ITC), The USDA National Information Technology Center (NITC), and many other partners. Much of the PLANTS data and design is developed at NPDT, and the Web application is programmed at ITC and NITC and served through the USDA Web Farm. Here’s more information about who does what on the PLANTS Team, our Partners, and our Data Contributors.

Topics include

• Alternative Crops
• Characteristics
• Classification
• Culturally Significant
• Fact Sheets & Plant Guides
• Invasive and Noxious Weeds
• Plant Materials Publications
• Threatened & Endangered
• Wetland Indicator Status
• 40,000+ Plant Images

Additional help:

• PLANTS from USDA tutorial (PDF | 575KB)

Other databases for:

• Encyclopedias, dictionaries, and almanacs
• Multimedia
• Reports, standards, and financials
• Freely accessible databases
• Contents of database in Summon

Other databases covering:

• Agricultural, biological, and medical sciences