Every year Field Museum staff and partners take thousands of photographs of plants and animals in the field—many of which turn out to be the first live photos ever taken of those species. Selected and curated by taxonomic experts, this digital gallery provides the building blocks for field guides and other online tools that help researchers and conservationists identify plants and animals quickly in the field.
The Live Plant Photos project is currently overseen by Nigel Pitman and Tomomi Suwa, with significant support from the Field Museum IT department, Nancy Hensold, and Colleen Kingsbury. The project was founded by and run for many years by Robin Foster. Other people who have played an important role include Corine Vriesendorp, Tyana Wachter, Juliana Philipp, Margaret Metz, Heike Betz, Ryan Peters, Pete Herbst, Mike Contraveos, Erica Bishop, Mary Giblin, and Sarah Kaplan.
While you're here, have a look at our other plant identification tools!
Images on this site are displayed with the consent of the photographers and are subject to the Field Museum's Conditions and Norms for the Use of Data and Images. If you have any questions, pleae contact us (nlp@fieldmuseum.org).
This database was developed with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and members of the Field Museum community: Withrow Meeker, Ellen Hyndman, Tobey and John Taylor and the Warwick Foundation, Liza and Al Pyott, and Jamee and Marshall Field. The Live Plant Photos project is currently overseen by Nigel Pitman and Tomomi Suwa, with significant support from the Field Museum IT department, Nancy Hensold, and Colleen Kingsbury. The project was foundedby and run for many years by Robin Foster. Other people who have played an important role include Corine Vriesendorp, Tyana Wachter, Juliana Philipp, Margaret Metz, Heike Betz, Ryan Peters, Pete Herbst, Mike Contraveos, Erica Bishop, Mary Giblin, and Sarah Kaplan. We thank the many experts who identified species in these photos. They cannot be held responsible for errors of identification because many or most photos had no voucher specimens, and they have not seen all of the photos includedhere. Those who have helped most, in order by family, are: Acanthaceae: Dieter Wasshausen, US; Annonaceae: Paul and Hiltje Maas, L, David Johnson, OWU; Araceae: Tom Croat, MO; Aristolochiaceae: Favio Gonzalez, COL; Asteraceae: John Pruski, MO; Balanophoraceae: Bertil Hansen, C; Berberidaceae: Carmen Ulloa, MO; Bignoniaceae: Lucia Lohmann, SPF; Bromeliaceae: Harry Luther, SEL, Jose Manzanares, QCNE; Burseraceae: Paul Fine, UC, Doug Daly, NY; Campanulaceae: Tom Lammers, OSH; Caprifoliaceae: FredBarrie, MO; Celastraceae: Julio Lombardi, HRCB; Clusiaceae: Barry Hammel, MO; Commelinaceae: Bob Faden, US; Convolvulaceae: Daniel Austin; Cucurbitaceae: Mike Nee, NY; Ericaceae: James Luteyn & Paola Pedraza, NY; Erythroxylaceae: Adolfo Jara, COL; Euphorbiaceae: Hans-Joachim Esser, M, Paul Berry, MICH, Ken Wurdack, US; Fabaceae: David Neill, MO; Gentianaceae: Lena Struwe & Jason Grant; Gesneriaceae: Larry Skog & John Clark, US, Irayda Salinas, USM, Laura Clavijo, COL; Heliconiaceae: John Kress,US; Lecythidaceae: Scott Mori, NY; Loranthaceae: Job Kuijt, UVIC; Marantaceae: Helen Kennedy, UCR; Marcgraviaceae: Stefan Dressler, FR; Melastomataceae: Fabian Michelangeli, NY; Menispermaceae: Rosa Ortiz, MO; Myrtaceae: Lúcia Kawasaki, F & Bruce Holst, SEL; Onagraceae: Paul Berry, MICH; Oxalidaceae: Eve Emshwiller, WIS; Passifloraceae: Peter Jorgensen, MO, María Mercedes Arbo, CTES; Picramniaceae: Jose Pirani, SPF; Poaceae: Lynn Clark, ISC, Gerrit Davidse, MO; Rosaceae: Katya Romoleroux,PUCE; Rubiaceae: Charlotte Taylor, MO; Rutaceae: Jackie Kallunki, NY; Santalaceae: Job Kuijt, UVIC; Sapindaceae: Pedro Acevedo, US; Scrophulariaceae: Sune Holt; Solanaceae: Sandra Knapp, BM, Mike Nee, NY; Triuridaceae: Paul & Hiltje Maas; Violaceae: Harvey Ballard, BHO; Vitaceae: Julio Lombardi, HRCB; Vochysiaceae: Lúcia Kawasaki, F. Others will be recognized as the project continues. This website was designed by Nicole Borens, built by Nina Sandlin, Sharon Grant, Pete Herbst, and Kate Webbink,and launched in 2017 with support from an anonymous foundation.