Plant Species

Verdantly provides access to over 440,000 plant species records, cross-referenced from multiple authoritative botanical databases into a single searchable backbone. This guide walks through common workflows for finding and using species data in your application.

Overview

The species backbone is Verdantly's taxonomic foundation. Each record includes:

• Scientific and common names with fuzzy search support
• Full taxonomy from kingdom down to subspecies/variety rank
• Lifecycle data such as duration, growth habit, and active growth period
• Ecological traits including edibility and bloom months
• US state-level distribution with native/introduced status
• Regulatory status for noxious weeds and threatened/endangered species
• External reference links to authoritative botanical databases

Data is cross-referenced from multiple authoritative botanical databases to eliminate duplicates and fill gaps. The result is a single, consistent API that covers everything from common garden plants to rare native wildflowers.

Searching species

The simplest way to find a species is the name search endpoint. It uses fuzzy matching, so partial names and minor misspellings still return relevant results.

curl -G "https://verdantly.p.rapidapi.com/v1/plants/species/name" \
  --data-urlencode "q=white oak" \
  --data-urlencode "perPage=5" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Host: verdantly.p.rapidapi.com" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Key: {apiKey}"

The fuzzy matching means searching for "tomto" will still find Solanum lycopersicum, and searching for "solanum lyco" will match on partial scientific names. Results are ranked by relevance.

You can also narrow name searches to a specific US state by adding the state parameter with a 2-letter code (e.g., state=TX). This filters out species not found in that state.

Filtering

When you need to narrow results by taxonomy, ecology, or geography, use the filter endpoint. All filter parameters are optional and can be combined.

For example, to find all edible perennials in Texas:

curl -G "https://verdantly.p.rapidapi.com/v1/plants/species/filter" \
  --data-urlencode "edible=true" \
  --data-urlencode "duration=Perennial" \
  --data-urlencode "state=TX" \
  --data-urlencode "perPage=10" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Host: verdantly.p.rapidapi.com" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Key: {apiKey}"

Other useful filter combinations:

• Trees in a genus: genus=Quercus&growthHabit=Tree to find all oak trees
• Species with images: hasImage=true&family=Rosaceae to find rose family species that have photos
• By taxonomic rank: taxonRank=Subspecies&genus=Pinus to find pine subspecies

All filter endpoints return paginated results with totalCount, page, perPage, and pages in the response metadata.

State distribution

For any species, you can retrieve its full state-level distribution using the distribution endpoint. This returns every US state where the species is documented, along with the common name and family used in each state record.

curl "https://verdantly.p.rapidapi.com/v1/plants/species/a3f1c2e4-7b8d-4e5f-9a1b-2c3d4e5f6a7b/distribution" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Host: verdantly.p.rapidapi.com" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Key: {apiKey}"

This is useful for building features like "native plants in my state" or checking whether a species is found in a user's region before recommending it.

Species vs. Varieties

Verdantly has two distinct plant resources, and it is important to understand when to use each:

• Plant Species (this resource) represent botanical taxonomy. The 440,000+ records cover the full breadth of the plant kingdom, from common garden plants to rare native grasses and tropical trees. Each record focuses on scientific classification, distribution, and ecological traits.

• Plant Varieties represent cultivated garden plants. The 9,800+ records cover specific cultivars like "Brandywine Tomato" or "Genovese Basil", with detailed growing guides, care instructions, hardiness zones, and harvest timelines.

Use species when you need taxonomic data, distribution maps, or ecological information. Use varieties when you need practical gardening data for a specific cultivar.

For more on working with cultivated plants, see the Plant Varieties guide.