diff --git a/plants/templates/plants/partials/species_results.html b/plants/templates/plants/partials/species_results.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ec09ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plants/templates/plants/partials/species_results.html
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+{% for result in results %}
+<div class="list-group-item">
+    <div class="d-flex align-items-center gap-2 mb-1">
+        {% if result.default_image and result.default_image.thumbnail %}
+        <img src="{{ result.default_image.thumbnail }}" width="40" height="40" class="rounded" style="object-fit:cover; flex-shrink:0;">
+        {% else %}
+        <div style="width:40px; height:40px; background:#d8f3dc; border-radius:.375rem; flex-shrink:0; display:flex; align-items:center; justify-content:center;">🌿</div>
+        {% endif %}
+        <div>
+            <div class="fw-semibold">{{ result.common_name }}</div>
+            <small class="text-muted fst-italic">{{ result.scientific_name|join:", " }}</small>
+        </div>
+    </div>
+    <form method="POST" action="{% url 'species_select' %}">
+        {% csrf_token %}
+        <input type="hidden" name="perenual_id" value="{{ result.id }}">
+        <input type="hidden" name="common_name" value="{{ result.common_name }}">
+        <input type="hidden" name="scientific_name" value="{{ result.scientific_name|join:', ' }}">
+        <input type="hidden" name="watering" value="{{ result.watering|default:'' }}">
+        <input type="hidden" name="sunlight" value="{{ result.sunlight|join:', ' }}">
+        <input type="hidden" name="pruning_months" value="{{ result.pruning_month|join:', ' }}">
+        <input type="hidden" name="api_image_url" value="{{ result.default_image.regular_url|default:'' }}">
+        <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm btn-success">Select →</button>
+    </form>
+</div>
+{% empty %}
+{% if q %}<p class="list-group-item text-muted">No results for "{{ q }}"</p>{% endif %}
+{% endfor %}
diff --git a/plants/templates/plants/species_search.html b/plants/templates/plants/species_search.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ac15c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plants/templates/plants/species_search.html
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{% extends "plants/base.html" %}
+{% block title %}Add Plant — PlantDB{% endblock %}
+{% block content %}
+<h5 class="mb-3">Add a plant</h5>
+<p class="text-muted small">Search for the species to auto-fill care info, or skip to enter details manually.</p>
+
+<input
+    type="search"
+    class="form-control mb-2"
+    placeholder="🔍 Search species, e.g. 'climbing rose'"
+    hx-get="{% url 'species_search' %}"
+    hx-trigger="input changed delay:400ms"
+    hx-target="#species-results"
+    hx-swap="innerHTML"
+    name="q"
+    autocomplete="off"
+>
+
+<div id="species-results" class="list-group mb-3"></div>
+
+<div class="text-center">
+    <a href="{% url 'plant_add' %}?species_id=skip" class="text-muted small">
+        Skip — enter details manually
+    </a>
+</div>
+{% endblock %}
diff --git a/plants/tests/test_views.py b/plants/tests/test_views.py
index e7199da..0563bab 100644
--- a/plants/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/plants/tests/test_views.py
@@ -105,3 +105,47 @@ class TestLogPruning:
             {'pruned_on': '2026-05-01', 'notes': ''},
         )
         assert resp.templates[0].name == 'plants/partials/pruning_strip.html'
+
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+class TestSpeciesSearch:
+    def test_search_page_returns_200(self, client):
+        resp = client.get(reverse('plant_add'))
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+
+    def test_htmx_search_returns_partial(self, client, settings):
+        settings.PERENUAL_API_KEY = ''
+        resp = client.get(
+            reverse('species_search') + '?q=rose',
+            HTTP_HX_REQUEST='true',
+        )
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        assert resp.templates[0].name == 'plants/partials/species_results.html'
+
+    def test_species_select_creates_species_and_redirects(self, client):
+        resp = client.post(reverse('species_select'), {
+            'perenual_id': '42',
+            'common_name': 'Test Rose',
+            'scientific_name': 'Rosa testii',
+            'watering': 'Weekly',
+            'sunlight': 'Full sun',
+            'pruning_months': 'February, August',
+            'api_image_url': '',
+        })
+        assert resp.status_code == 302
+        from plants.models import Species
+        assert Species.objects.filter(perenual_id=42).exists()
+
+    def test_species_select_deduplicates(self, client):
+        from plants.models import Species
+        Species.objects.create(perenual_id=99, common_name='Existing')
+        client.post(reverse('species_select'), {
+            'perenual_id': '99',
+            'common_name': 'Existing',
+            'scientific_name': '',
+            'watering': '',
+            'sunlight': '',
+            'pruning_months': '',
+            'api_image_url': '',
+        })
+        assert Species.objects.filter(perenual_id=99).count() == 1
diff --git a/plants/urls.py b/plants/urls.py
index 4a0611f..b710f20 100644
--- a/plants/urls.py
+++ b/plants/urls.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from django.urls import path
-from plants.views import dashboard, plants, pruning
+from plants.views import dashboard, plants, pruning, species
 
 urlpatterns = [
     path('', dashboard.dashboard, name='dashboard'),
@@ -10,4 +10,6 @@ urlpatterns = [
     path('plants/<int:pk>/delete/', plants.plant_delete, name='plant_delete'),
     path('plants/<int:pk>/log-pruning/', plants.log_pruning, name='log_pruning'),
     path('pruning/', pruning.pruning_calendar, name='pruning_calendar'),
+    path('species/search/', species.species_search, name='species_search'),
+    path('species/select/', species.species_select, name='species_select'),
 ]
diff --git a/plants/views/species.py b/plants/views/species.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a5cfdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plants/views/species.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+from django.shortcuts import render, redirect
+from django.urls import reverse
+from plants.models import Species
+from plants.services.perenual import search_species
+
+_MONTH_MAP = {
+    'January': 1, 'February': 2, 'March': 3, 'April': 4,
+    'May': 5, 'June': 6, 'July': 7, 'August': 8,
+    'September': 9, 'October': 10, 'November': 11, 'December': 12,
+}
+
+
+def species_search(request):
+    q = request.GET.get('q', '').strip()
+    results = search_species(q) if len(q) >= 2 else []
+    return render(request, 'plants/partials/species_results.html', {
+        'results': results, 'q': q,
+    })
+
+
+def species_select(request):
+    perenual_id = int(request.POST['perenual_id'])
+    if not Species.objects.filter(perenual_id=perenual_id).exists():
+        pruning_str = request.POST.get('pruning_months', '')
+        pruning_months = [
+            _MONTH_MAP[m.strip()]
+            for m in pruning_str.split(',')
+            if m.strip() in _MONTH_MAP
+        ]
+        Species.objects.create(
+            perenual_id=perenual_id,
+            common_name=request.POST.get('common_name', ''),
+            scientific_name=request.POST.get('scientific_name', ''),
+            watering=request.POST.get('watering', ''),
+            sunlight=request.POST.get('sunlight', ''),
+            pruning_months=pruning_months,
+            api_image_url=request.POST.get('api_image_url', ''),
+        )
+    species = Species.objects.get(perenual_id=perenual_id)
+    return redirect(f"{reverse('plant_add')}?species_id={species.pk}")