Tree ID apps
You, tree care professional, are of course so good at tree identification that you would never need to carry an ID guide along with you, right? Well, sure, you can peg a buckeye from a horse chestnut tree at 100 meters in the fog at night, but let’s say for example, your new hires are a little sketchy knowing their Ulmus rubras from their Ulmus americanas — are there any apps that could help them out in the field? The answer is yes, there are a ton of them.
Every Tuesday I will provide a review of apps for the tree care industry. I’ve downloaded and tested no less than a dozen and a half tree ID apps over the past two years. Many rely heavily on leaf ID, which relegates them to only be useful in the summer, and others use so much botany jargon that they are pretty unusable for the average human. Some are decent for actual identification; others are better for learning more about the tree with info and photos once you know what it is. I haven’t found one yet that does all of these things great but the ones reviewed below have some merit and are worth checking out.
Like any printed tree identification guide, ID guide apps will all have strengths and weaknesses. Considering there are plenty of choices for free and even affordable apps are less expensive than a new book. Check back next Tuesday for my first app review. Happy apping and I look forward to your feedback!
Brandon M. Gallagher Watson, Creative Director, Rainbow Treecare Scientific Advancements: With an art and design background, Brandon’s arboriculture career was sparked by a love of trees and an interest in ecology. He obtained his education from the University of Minnesota – College of Natural Resources for Urban and Community Forestry and began as a researcher for Rainbow Treecare Scientific Advancements. Now, as director of communications, Brandon is responsible for creating company educational content, presenting at tree care conferences across the country, and writing columns for industry periodicals. He is a certified arborist, non-certified home brewer, and certifiable mobile technology geek.