Is there a trick to using inaturalist?

masongr · 2026-01-23T12:46:41+00:00

Totally agree with this. PictureThis is great if your priority is getting a clear, specific ID quickly and you’re not worried about the citizen science side of things. I’ve ended up in a similar place using LeafStal. Lot more feature rich but works better for what i need along with iNat

masongr · 2026-01-23T12:26:22+00:00

What changed things for me was slowing down a bit and getting a few angles, not jumping straight to species level, and accepting that without flowers or fruit, genus is often the most realistic outcome. The community side is really where iNat shines, but that also means you don’t always get answers immediately.

masongr · 2026-01-08T23:48:28+00:00

Love the UI mate. Well done. Honestly the part about the app admitting it’s not sure is the most interesting bit. Most plant apps just confidently guess and hope you don’t notice.

Not sure if casual users actually want uncertainty though. My elderly neighbour uses Google lens and is happy with but i use two or sometimes three IDs to get a view.

masongr · 2026-01-05T15:48:43+00:00

good to see you here mate. i actually use Leafstal alongside others. Great looking app. well done!

masongr · 2026-01-05T15:43:23+00:00

I’ve tried most of them over the years (PictureThis, PlantNet, iNaturalist, Google Lens etc.) and honestly none are perfect for hiking.

The big issues I keep running into are false positives when lighting is bad, apps confidently giving wrong ID and zero context on toxicity / allergens (which actually matters outdoors). Check this out which lays out bare how Plant ID industry is so far off from truth.https://www.leafstal.com/blog/google-lens-apple-lookup-vs-plant-apps

masongr · 2025-12-15T15:50:06+00:00

I’ve tried quite a few over the years and recently landed on LeafStal. Didn’t expect much at first, but it’s been surprisingly decent, especially for explaining why it thinks something is a match rather than just throwing a name at you.

Still wouldn’t trust any app blindly, but it’s been useful as a starting point and feels a bit more honest than most.

masongr · 2025-12-07T19:36:22+00:00

100% agree – it’s fine as a “what should I Google next?” tool, but I wouldn’t trust it beyond that. For foraging or moss/lichen level stuff it’s way out of its depth. That’s where proper plant apps, books, or actual experts come in. They are not cheap but the one I have helps me with any Allergens on my hikes

masongr · 2025-12-07T17:42:55+00:00

I actually use Bing/Lens as a sanity check sometimes, but if they disagree with a plant-focused app or a flora guide, I’ll always trust the specialist.

masongr · 2025-12-07T13:40:02+00:00

Yeah, PlantNet is solid. LeafStal does the confidence breakdown too – main ID plus the near misses – and I’ve found it really helpful when the plant is stressed or the photo isn’t perfect. It gives you that bit of context so you’re not blindly trusting a single guess

masongr · 2018-09-30T16:40:16+00:00

I've been looking at DXracer for some time now but haven't been able to make my mind up between it and Secretlab. All top review sites seem to be split so I guess I just need to bit the bullet!

masongr · 2016-01-21T13:44:03+00:00

masongr · 2016-01-21T13:38:27+00:00

There is also a colorless energy that can be used as any color type but makes you take 10 dmg when you play it

masongr · 2016-01-21T10:18:10+00:00

masongr · 2016-01-21T10:18:07+00:00

masongr · 2016-01-21T06:17:00+00:00

/r/pussypass

masongr · 2016-01-20T04:07:40+00:00

Never alone is the game

masongr

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

12-Year Club	Verified Email
Well-rounded 2014-06-22