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Terms of Service

Effective Date: February 15, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Hortus ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

Hortus is a community platform for mapping native plant gardens, building pollinator corridors, and connecting with nearby gardeners. The Service allows users to log plants, share seeds, view community analytics, and communicate with other members.

3. User Accounts

  • You must provide accurate information when creating an account.
  • You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials.
  • You must be at least 13 years old to use the Service.
  • One account per person. Duplicate or fake accounts may be removed.

4. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

  • Use the Service for any unlawful purpose
  • Harass, threaten, or abuse other users
  • Post false, misleading, or deceptive plant data
  • Attempt to access other users' accounts or private data
  • Scrape, crawl, or use automated tools to collect data from the Service
  • Interfere with or disrupt the Service or its infrastructure
  • Use the Service to spam or send unsolicited messages

5. User Content

You retain ownership of content you submit (plant data, messages, etc.). By submitting content, you grant Hortus a non-exclusive, worldwide license to use, display, and share that content as part of the Service, including in aggregated community analytics and research datasets.

You are responsible for the accuracy of the plant data you submit. Hortus does not verify individual plant identifications.

6. Community Data & Research

One of Hortus's core purposes is enabling community-level biodiversity research. By using the Service, you acknowledge that your plant data (anonymized and aggregated) may be shared with conservation authorities, research institutions, and municipal governments to support biodiversity initiatives. See our Privacy Policy for details on how your data is handled.

7. Seed & Plant Exchanges

Hortus facilitates connections between gardeners for seed and plant sharing. However, Hortus is not a party to any exchange and assumes no responsibility for the quality, safety, or legality of seeds or plants exchanged between users. Users are responsible for complying with local regulations regarding plant material exchange.

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. Hortus does not guarantee the accuracy of plant identification data, community analytics, or ecological assessments provided through the Service.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Hortus shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Service, including but not limited to loss of plants, garden damage, or reliance on data provided through the platform.

10. Account Termination

You may delete your account at any time. Hortus reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms. Upon termination, your personal data will be deleted in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Anonymized, aggregated data may be retained for research purposes.

11. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Significant changes will be communicated through the Service or via email. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

12. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at hello@hortus.app