During the pandemic I needed to fill my life with something productive and, hopefully, enriching. I chose plants. Succulents, mostly. Crassulas, echeverias, gasterias, haworthias, strings of pearls and dolphins and coins. Most of the time, I'd get a handy label on the plastic pot describing the plant's name and needs. Other times, when I'd spot something especially spiky and technicolored at the dollar store, I wouldn't.
Titles like "Asst. Succulent", "Asst. Indoor Plant", and "Asst. Green Foliage" don't exactly provide much in the way of plant care tips. Instead of spending half an hour trying to narrow down leaf shapes; shades of green, purple, and orange; rosette structures; and on and on and on (and still not finding exactly when I'm looking for), I can snap a picture or two and ask for help on r/whatsthisplant.
If you're looking for something you found on a hike, a plant you saw on a meme somewhere, or an interesting cluster of berries your friend on the other side of the world picked up from a farmer's market, you'll almost inevitably find out what it's called, its scientific name, if you can eat it, and how to take care of it (if you plan on taking it home with you).
With nearly 500,000 subscribers, r/whatsthisplant is heaving with actual botanists, along with casual (and not so casual) plant lovers and caretakers.
Whether you're searching for something you found in the trash, or some leaves you found in a 100 year old Norwegian Bible, or some "wild coronavirus", you'll find out if you can (or should) take care of it.