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Plant Identification and Information Service

We provide plant identifications, with emphasis on the wild and cultivated plants of Victoria. Fungi can also be identified but we do not provide information on their edibility.

Our ability to provide identifications depends on the quality of the plant material and associated information we receive. For more information on what we require see Herbarium Voucher Specimens. We reserve the right to reject and discard poor specimens submitted with insufficient information. We also require clear contact information for communication of results, and an address for correspondence and invoicing. We reserve the right to retain all specimens of scientific interest as donations for the State Botanical Collection. Specimens not required as donations will be discarded.

Fees apply for this service. For a list of fees see List of Charges

The Identifications Botanists also provide information on plant names, classification and distribution. Their projects include:

Collection and identification of new environmental weeds
Contribution to the Weed Alert Rapid Response program of the Department of Sustainability and Environment
Assistance with the documentation of the Census of Vascular Plants of Victoria
Description of plant cultivars in the Australian nursery industry
Preparation of the Horticultural Flora of South-Eastern Australia and other publications
Production of various other publications concerned with plant description, nomenclature and classification
Processing of specimen donations
Curation of the Victorian Reference Set and the Horticultural Reference Set

We are unable to provide:

Medical advice. However, we will attempt to identify plants suspected of poisonings.
Identifications based on images alone. Images can be helpful but only in association with real plants.
Identification of plant diseases and "pests".
Tree root identifications.
Advice on weed control and herbicide use.
General gardening advice.
Commercial recommendations (e.g. plant availability).

The service is open from 10:00 AM – 1.00 PM each weekday. Outside these hours specimens can be left with Reception or sent by mail to:

Identifications and Information Service
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
Private Bag 2000
South Yarra
Victoria 3141