In Defense of Plants Podcast

We tend to view pollination as an altruistic blending of plant and animal behavior but altruistic it is not. Both plants and their pollinators are trying to get as much as they can out of the relationship while giving as little in return as possible. What really blows my mind is just how much we still have yet to learn about this vital ecological process. That is where scientists like Dr. Avery Ru...

When Dr. Naomi Fraga started volunteering at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden herbarium, little did she know it would evolve into a total love affair with botanical diversity. Since that time, she has carved out an incredible niche with her work on moneyflowers (Phrymaceae). These charismatic plants offer so much for the curious minds. Join us as we discuss their diversity, taxonomy, and conser...

For Mike Bone, propagating and growing plants is not just a hobby or a job, it's a way of life. Mike is the curator of the steppe collections at the Denver Botanic Gardens and his love affair with these plants rings true in everything he does. Steppes are important ecosystems, both ecological and culturally and yet they are all too often overlooked. As you will hear, Mike's work is about more than...

In this episode we are taking a deep dive into the world of pitcher plant ecology, evolution, and conservation. Joining us from the Atlanta Botanical Garden is conservation scientist Dr. Jess Stephens to talk to us about her work on Sarracenia. The North American pitcher plants are worlds unto themselves and support an incredible ecosystem that we are only just beginning to understand. This episod...

What wetland scene would be complete without a few cattails? The genus Typha is synonymous with wetlands yet as you will hear in this episode, we know so little about them. Joining us is Dr. Pam Geddes from Northeastern Illinois UNiversity to talk to us about her work on cattail invasion ecology. What started as a question about ecosystem function and monocultures has morphed into an exploration t...

"Protecting species takes a village" says Juliet Rynear, executive director of the Florida Native Plant Society. This wonderful organization not only celebrates Florida's bewildering diversity of native flora, they also work extremely hard to protect and conserve these plants. As you can imaging, this is not easy to do in a state whose population continues to grow. Saving Florida's native plants r...

Grab your shovels because today we are heading underground to talk about soils. Joining us on this adventure is my friend and labmate Ron Salemme. Ron studies soil carbon cycling in the context of invasive plants and prescribed fire. In doing so, he works at the interface between plants and the soil environment where we are only just beginning to understand some of the most important processes on...

Join the wonderful Sara Johnson and me as we reminisce about our recent botanical adventures in Louisiana. Inspired by the possibility of meeting one of North America's rarest iris species, we headed down to the Gulf Coast to take in the sights as well as some warm weather. Along the way we explored cypress/tupelo swamps, hiked long leaf pine savannas, and came face to face with a few gators. Loui...

Today we are taking a deeper look at the most diverse woody plant lineage in western North America. I am of course talking about the manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.). Joining us is San Francisco State Professor Dr. Tom Parker who has devoted much of his career to uncovering the ecology and evolution of the manzanita lineage. From mutualistic relationships with rodents and fungi to their dependence...

The Aster family has nearly conquered the planet. It is one of the most diverse plant lineages on Earth and yet so many of us just pass them by without much of a thought. At least part of the reason may be the fact that composites can be difficult to identify. However, none of this has stopped my guest Joey Santore from taking a deep dive into the world of asters. What started as mostly curiosity...

Oaks are some of the most charismatic trees on the planet. They are also major players in the biosphere when it comes to their ecological impact. They also have a lot to teach us from a scientific perspective. Joining us in this episode is plant physiological and evolutionary ecologist Dr. Jeannine Cavender-Bares. Her career in science has focused heavily on oaks both from an ecological and evolut...

There is no denying that roots are one of the most important organs on a plant. However, unless its an epiphyte, root activity takes place underground, largely out of site and out of mind. This has not stopped my guest today from trying to understand the origin and evolution of these amazing structures. Joining us from Magdalen College in the UK is plant evolutionary biologist Dr. Sandy Hetheringt...

When we think about the Caribbean, our minds often drift to sandy beaches, clear water, and corals. But what about plants? The Caribbean is home to an amazing diversity of plant life and my guest today is working hard to understand and protect them. Joining us is Sara Bárrios, Kew's Islands Conservation Partnership Co-ordinator. Join us as we learn what Sara and her colleagues are doing for the pl...

This week In Defense of Plants is celebrating its 200th episode with a bunch of book recommendations. I get a lot of emails from listeners each week and unfortunately I simply do not have the time to respond to all of them. One of the most popular questions I get revolves around which books I recommend. And because In Defense of Plants wouldn't be where it is today without the wonderful support of...

Today we take a look at how understanding the evolution of various plant families provides us with insights into the history and diversity of some of the world's great rainforests. Joining us to discuss his work on palms and soursops is Dr. Thomas Couvreur. Throughout this episode we get a look at how fundamental scientific questions can unlock a wealth of knowledge about the history of our planet...

Assessing the status of all known tree species may seem like a monumental task and in many ways it is. However, that is exactly what a team of conservation scientists from Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and the IUCN are trying to do. Joining us to talk about these efforts is Dr. Malin Rivers who is Head of Conservation Prioritisation for BGCI. She and her colleagues are workin...

The world of aquatic plants is incredibly diverse, yet our ties to land make it difficult to fully appreciate these organisms. Their glory and splendor is best observed in their underwater realm. This is why aquascaping is such an incredible hobby. Planted aquariums provide you with a unique view of the underwater world without ever having to get your feet wet. Whether you simply like to look at p...

My guest today was bitten by the Agave bug at an early age. Since then, Dr. Jeff Lake has amassed an impressive collection representing over 100 different species and varieties of this wonderful genus of New World succulents. Despite their popularity in form, Agave still have many secrets to discover. Join Dr. Jeff Lake and me for an exploration of what makes the Agave so special. This episode was...

When Dr. Jon Rebman decided to take on the diversity of cholla cacti, little did he know what he was getting into. Luckily, this work led him down a road stoked by a deep passion for understanding the biodiversity of not only cacti, but the entire flora of southern California and the Baja Peninsula. Dr. Rebman believes in maintaining a classical botanists approach to his work and as you will hear...

Bill Handel grew up in Illinois and has seen a lot change since his childhood days. Ever since he was a boy, Bill delighted in gardening with native plants. This led him to become the botanist that he is today. Today he dedicates much of his spare time to finding dwindling plant populations around the state, collecting seed, and propagating them in order to preserve at least some of the genetic le...

What most of the world knows about the genus Begonia is only the tip of this botanical iceberg. The genus Begonia is currently the fastest growing genus of plants in the world and with new discoveries pouring in year after year, it doesn't show any signs of slowing up. MY guest today is Dr. Peter Moonlight from The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. His work on this amazing family of plants has great...

Today we are talking about Australia's alpine flora. My guest is PhD student Casey Gibson who is studying the many ways in which climate change is influencing this system. As you can imagine, Australia's alpine ecosystems are wonderfully complex and diverse and understanding their ecology has become more important than ever. This episode was produced in part by Hannah, Katy Pye, Brandon, Gwen, Car...

When it comes to our understanding of plants and climate change, the tropics are still a great unknown. However, the data we do have is telling us that our actions are already changing forests. Today we are joined by Dr. Ken Feeley to talk about some of his work looking at the forests of the Andes Mountains. You will soon learn just how difficult it can be to study such a biodiverse region. Noneth...

Mike Knell is completely enthralled by palms. What started with a small collection of plams growing in his office has morphed into a full blown obsession with everything Arecaceae. Mike really hasn't looked back since. He now lives in Hawai'i and is an apprentice at the world renowned Florabunda Palm Nursery working under the tutelage Jeff and Suchin Marcus. What follows is a wonderful discussion...

Join Dr. Sarah Allen and me as we journey back in time to the Eocene. Earth was a very different planet some 49 million years ago. Though we may recognize some Eocene flora, the combination of various plant lineages would be enough to make your head spin. Earth was experiencing a warming period and the plants had responded accordingly. Tropical species like palms were thriving in places like Wyomi...