Growlist 2.0 - spreadsheet upload now available

[DFeff]

Some of you may know that I've been working on a better way to track plant collections - here's my profile as a quick "show me, don't tell me" example: Collecto.rs . My team and I just built out a handy new feature - we now support spreadsheet uploads! For everyone with an existing spreadsheet, we've made it super easy to migrate on over without having to start from scratch.

For the moment, we're testing things with a structured spreadsheet format. Here's how to use it:
1. Signup for a collecto.rs account and set your username.
2. Duplicate this Google sheet and copy+paste your data into the relevant columns.
- Please choose from the drop-down options in those columns with pre-defined choices (don't edit the pre-defined options in these columns).
- Any images you'd like included need to be hosted at a publicly-accessible URL.
3. Leave a message here with a link to this spreadsheet, or email it to me at david@collecto.rs when it's ready to be uploaded to your account.

Alternatively, you can send your existing spreadsheet to david@collecto.rs and I can format it for you and get it uploaded to your account.

We're working towards a user-facing feature that allows the upload of any spreadsheet, interprets the data in that spreadsheet, and then intelligently matches that data to the columns in our database that make the most sense.

 

[DFeff]

We all love trading plants, but there's consistent friction in the trading experience:

• digging through a spreadsheet or forum comments looking for what others have to trade (some of which are outdated)
• figuring out what the owner actually wants to trade for

So I added a simple trading layer to collecto.rs:
• You can mark plants in your collection as available to trade
• You can list what you’re interested in trading for
• Anyone viewing your profile can make an offer (doesn't have to be a user of collecto.rs)
• No emails, phone numbers, or personal contact info exposed to strangers unless you want to pursue a trade off-platform

It’s intentionally pretty lightweight and not meant to replace local swaps or community trading threads. It's more like a way to make intent clearer and reduce back-and-forth.

This is very much early and I’m interested in what feels useful vs annoying:
1. Is listing “what you’re looking for” helpful?
2. Would you want trade history / reputation later?
3. Anything that would make this safer or less spammy?


And here's a example link of my collection filtered by items that are available to trade: https://collecto.rs/David?by=isForTrade&collection=plants
Here's a direct link to an item available to trade (Sarracenia Saurus): Sarracenia

 

[DFeff]

Genuinely large March update to collecto.rs:

• Beautified plant detail pages - organized data, clean layout, prettier to look at on small and large screens
• QR codes for in-person sharing - share an individual plant, or jump into "in-person share mode" to see your entire collection's set of QR codes for easy sharing when you're with your friends.
• Quick Actions - long press/right click on your plant in grid view, or slide it over in list view for quicker access to the most popular actions
• Plant ID - upload an image, and let our AI take a crack at identifying the plant. It won't drill down to the specific cultivar, but it generally gets genus correct, and helps you pre-fill a bunch of data that you would otherwise have to enter manually.
• Brand new collection types supported - Fossils, insects, and reptiles (in addition to plants and birds)

Check all this fun stuff out on my profile at Collecto.rs, and if you think our tool could help you better track, share, and organize your plant collection, take it for a spin - it's completely free!

 

[DFeff]

April 26, 2026 update:
Garden Notes
• No need to open up a separate notes app to jot down thoughts. Use our rich-text notes with @-mentions, reminders, and sharing
• Set Reminders (for plant care, etc.) with notifications so you don't forget.

Sold/Gifted a Plant? Transfer It
• Send items between other collectors or even non-collectors (folks not yet using the software)

Collect Collectors (Social-ish)
• Follow other collectors for a shortcut to ogle their collection and see who has recent updates

Item Groups
• Group items within a collection however you see fit to stay organized

Collection Insights
• New Insights page with fun single-collection story cards and growth charts
• All-collections view with distribution and highlights

AI Plant ID & Import
• Scan a plant to add it to your collection. Weirdly good, but might miss nuanced cultivars
• Bulk import your existing collection via a Google sheet link or upload with and .xls or CSV

PlantCon Partnership!
We partnered with PlantCon and built an interactive venue map with some really fun stuff (PlantCon 2026 | Collecto.rs):
• Fully interactive and searchable map for the event space
• Scavenger hunt with QR code "stamps"
• Take and track notes on exhibitors (you know - like that one with the really good deal on that Nepenthes)
• Copy exhibitor items to your collection with provenance tracking
• Follow exhibitors during the event