The PLANTS Database

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 Center (NPDC), 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 NPDC, 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.

How to cite the PLANTS Database.

Learn more about the data at PLANTS.

Other questions are answered at the PLANTS FAQs.

Need more information? Please check our PLANTS Help topics.