USDA PLANTS Database
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
A public plant record system for U.S. and territory plant identity, distribution, status, wetland, invasive, noxious, and conservation data.
What you'll find here
Taxonomic identity
U.S. and territory distribution
Wetland and conservation characteristics
Invasive, noxious, threatened, and endangered status leads
Specific data we draw from it: scientific names, symbols, distribution, status flags, wetland data.
Good to know
Distribution evidence. Keep locality and source-documentation fields traceable when records affect range maps.
Regulatory status. Show noxious, invasive, rarity, wetland, or protected status as sourced context.
How to cite this source
Cite the USDA PLANTS profile page (https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/<SYMBOL>) for the specific plant fact. The `scripts/ingest-usda-plants.mjs` adapter (ADR 0023) calls the `PlantProfile` JSON API at https://plantsservices.sc.egov.usda.gov/api/PlantProfile?symbol=<SYMBOL> and emits paste-ready citation + source blocks.
License
Treat as U.S. government/public plant records, while preserving citations and any upstream source notes.
Caution
This is not a complete gardening-care guide; it should support identity, range, and status facts rather than replace extension guidance. The public PlantProfile endpoint exposes only region-level native status (CAN / L48 / AK / HI / PR / VI / PB) — for per-state native flags, pair with LBJ Wildflower Center per ADR 0023.
Cited by plants
No catalog plant cites this source yet.