Plant Disease Identifier
Photograph a plant with spots, wilting or discoloration and get a read on what might be wrong.
What the Plant Disease Detector does
A houseplant with yellowing leaves, a tomato plant with dark spots spreading up the stem, roses with a white powder on the leaves: something is usually going on before it's obvious what. This tool looks at a photo of the affected plant and describes the visible symptoms, suggests the most likely disease or pest causing them, and notes which parts of the plant are affected and how far it's spread. It also gives general care and treatment pointers. It's a visual guess based on the photo, not a lab diagnosis, and for anything affecting a food crop or a plant you depend on, confirm with a local extension service before treating it.
See a sample result
Input: A typical phone photo of the lower leaves of a garden tomato plant in midsummer (the image at the top of this page is an illustration). Several older leaves have brown spots about the size of a pea, some with faint rings inside, and the leaf tissue around them is turning yellow. The upper leaves look green. Details box: "Plum tomatoes in a raised bed, lots of rain this week, watered from above."
- Early blight62%
- Septoria leaf spot28%
- Bacterial spot10%
Visible symptoms: Round brown lesions, roughly 5 to 10 mm across, on the lower, older leaves. Several show faint concentric rings (a target-like pattern), and the tissue around them is yellowing. Newer growth higher up looks clean in this photo. No webbing, insects or chewed edges are visible.
Likely cause: Early blight (Alternaria) fits best: target-ring spots that start on the oldest leaves and move upward, in a wet spell with overhead watering. Septoria leaf spot is the main look-alike, but its spots are usually smaller and more numerous, with pale centers and tiny dark specks. Bacterial spot is less likely at this spot size.
Severity: Moderate. The lower canopy is affected; the fruit and stems aren't visible in the photo, so check them for dark sunken areas.
What to do next:
- Remove the spotted lower leaves and bag them rather than composting.
- Water at the base in the morning, and mulch so soil doesn't splash onto leaves.
- Improve airflow by staking and thinning crowded growth.
- If you consider a fungicide, follow the label for edible crops.
Prevention: Rotate where you plant tomatoes, and clear plant debris at the end of the season.
This is a visual read. If spots spread quickly or reach the fruit, a local extension service can confirm the cause.
How it works
- 1
Photograph the affected area
Get close enough that spots, discoloration, webbing or powder are clearly visible. The tool reads one photo per run, so if the whole-plant view matters, run a second, wider shot separately.
- 2
Add details in the details box
Note the plant type, how long the symptoms have been showing, recent watering or weather changes, and anything you've already tried.
- 3
The model reads visible symptoms
It looks at spot shape and color, wilting pattern, discoloration, any visible pests or webbing, and which plant parts are affected.
- 4
You get a likely cause and next steps
The result names the most probable disease or pest, general severity, affected parts, and general treatment and prevention pointers, with scores for the likely causes.
Use cases
Catching a garden problem early
Photograph the first spots or wilting you notice on a vegetable or ornamental plant to get a read before it spreads further.
Houseplant troubleshooting
Figure out whether yellowing or drooping leaves point to a pest, a fungal issue, or just a watering or light problem.
Checking before you treat
Get a general sense of what might be wrong before choosing a fungicide, pesticide or fertilizer, so you're not treating the wrong problem.
Learning what a symptom usually means
Use it as a starting point to understand what powdery coatings, leaf spots or wilting patterns commonly indicate.
Tips for better results
- Start with a close-up of the worst-affected leaf; if the answer is unclear, run a wider shot of the whole plant as a second check.
- Photograph in daylight without flash, since flash washes out subtle color changes that matter for diagnosis.
- Mention the plant type and recent watering, fertilizing or weather changes in the details box; the same symptom can mean different things.
- If several leaves show different symptoms, photograph and describe them separately rather than combining them into one shot.
Limitations
This is a visual guess based on a photo, not a lab test or a substitute for an agricultural professional. Similar symptoms can come from very different causes (fungal disease, pest damage, nutrient deficiency, watering issues), and a photo alone can't rule all of them out. For food crops, valuable plants, or anything you plan to treat with a fungicide or pesticide, confirm the diagnosis with a local extension service or plant pathologist before acting on it.
Frequently asked questions
Can it tell me exactly what disease my plant has?
It gives a likely assessment based on visible symptoms, not a confirmed diagnosis. Similar symptoms across diseases mean a lab test or expert opinion is needed for certainty.
Should I use this instead of an agricultural extension service?
No. Treat it as a first look. For food crops or valuable plants, confirm any diagnosis with a local extension service before treating.
Does it identify pests as well as diseases?
Yes, it looks for visible pest damage, webbing or insects in the photo alongside disease symptoms like spots and discoloration.
What if the photo doesn't show any symptoms?
It will say the plant looks healthy based on what's visible and describe common early symptoms to watch for instead.
Can it tell me what treatment to use?
It gives general treatment and prevention pointers, but specific fungicide or pesticide choices should be confirmed with a local expert or product label.
Does it work on any type of plant?
It works on houseplants, garden vegetables, ornamentals and most common plant types, though rare or unusual species may get a more general read.
Plans start at $9 a month. See pricing