How this Swedish plant care app can help plant parents at any stage

Planta is the Swedish free-to-use plant care app designed to help the green-thumbed keep their collection of house and garden plants at optimum health. The app — which has been awarded ‘Editor’s Choice’ and ‘App of the Day’ by the Apple App Store curators — gives novice and seasoned plant owners a basket full of digital tools necessary to ensure their plants thrive year-round.

These include: a plant identifier (users submitting in-app a photo of an unknown plant and receiving instant analysis, likened by some to ‘a Shazam for flora’), smart watering schedules tailored to each plant and each user’s needs, recommendations for light intensity (using the in-app light meter), step-by-step guides on repotting and preparing plants for the different seasons and a chatbot to help users obtain guidance on issues their plants are experiencing.

Planta was founded in Sweden in 2017 by Tove Westlund and Martin Wählby. After realizing that they had numerous unknown ailing plants in their homes and offices, they were surprised to discover that there were no apps available to provide horticultural advice. Spotting a niche in the market, Planta was developed and launched in 2018.

Between 2020 and 2021, Planta has launched in more than 45 new countries on both iOS and Android, including India, Singapore, Japan and South Korea, and is offered in 10 languages. Additionally, downloads have more than tripled since the pandemic started in 2020, from 1 million to over 3.3 million, and maintains over 62,000 5-star ratings across iOS and Android app stores. Today, Planta has over 16 million plants registered on the app, and is able to identify 90% of all known indoor and outdoor plant species.

According to the 2019 National Gardening Survey, Americans spend $52.3 billion on lawn and garden retail, with the 18-34 age group accounting for 25% of those sales, showing Gen Z and millennial’s passion in their plant parent journeys. The 18-24 year old Gen Z’ers have, on average, 10 different plants in their home. Since the pandemic, Planta has seen its demographic change in line with the findings of this study, and also witnessed an influx in users based in urban environments. This can partly be attributed to the benefits nature has on mood and mental health: a 2018 study by the Royal College of Physicians confirming the long held belief that observing plants, nature, and even natural scenes can benefit an individual’s overall mental wellbeing.

Features and integrations

Anyone can download Planta from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for free. The free version of Planta offers users access to some of the app’s key features, including the ability to add their houseplants to the app, check out the personalized care information, and access the smart water schedule.

For users eager to take plant ownership to the next level, Planta offers a paid subscription, which is available for: 1 month ($7.99); 3 months ($17.99,); 1 year ($35.99). Planta Premium includes:

Smart care reminders - For those new to plant ownership and unsure of how to best care for their plants, Planta provides the solution. Planta’s smart watering schedule is tailored to the needs of each plant and, using a smart algorithm, is able to offer care advice based on the exact requirements for each plant, based on the environment it’s in. Planta is not only able to remind users when it’s time to water, but also when to fertilize, mist, clean, and repot with a simple in-app notification. Whether used by a plant beginner or a green-fingered veteran, Planta is here to help.

Light meter - Planta’s in-app light meter helps users better understand which plants are suitable for their home or office environments, based on the different light conditions within each room. A common error is to fail to match plants with an appropriate level of light: some plants preferring shade; others thriving only in sunlight. Planta’s light meter tool ensures that users no longer have to guess.

Plant identification - Planta’s identification tool can identify 90% of all known plant species, simply by taking a picture with a smartphone. After the photo is taken and submitted in-app, Planta instantly reveals the name of the plant as well as provides in-depth care instructions. This tool is particularly handy for new plant parents, those who have been gifted plants and aren’t sure exactly how to care for them, or those with pets (who need to check whether a plant might be toxic for their furry friend).

Dr. Planta - From yellow leaves to brown spots, it can be hard to identify what’s making your plant wilt. Dr. Planta is Planta’s plant diagnosis tool for unwell plants: by chatting with the in-app chatbot, Planta is able to identify any plant issues and, once a diagnosis has been confirmed, share a treatment plan with the user. If the case is particularly complicated or severe, users are redirected to one of the Planta in-house plant experts who will be able to identify the issue and help your plants to thrive once more.

As part of Planta’s dedication to providing the best and most accurate plant advice for new plant parents, the company also offers free, live action tips and tutorials via Instagram and YouTube.

For more information, visit http://www.getplanta.com/