In Defense of Plants Podcast

For Dr. Rob Raguso, the phrase "stop and smell the roses" takes on a whole new meaning. Dr. Raguso studies the intricate world of floral chemistry. You are undoubtedly familiar with some of the wonderful odors flowers produce but such tantalizing smells are only the beginning. The world of floral chemistry is quite remarkable and the function of the myriad substances they produce go much deeper th...

Plant pigments certainly catch the eyes of many organisms, but they serve many important functions beyond simple attraction. For instance, plant pigments can play a huge role in managing stressors like heat, sunlight, and more. Join me and Dr. Niky Hughes as we explore one of the most abundant and important types of plant pigments - anthocyanins - and learn how they not only vary in appearance but...

Plant stress starts at the molecular level but can influence entire ecosystems. That is why questions about drought, heat, and climate change fuel Dr. Lou Santiago's research. Join us as we explore the ins and outs of studying plant stress in different ecosystems. This episode was produced in part by Charis, EJ, Laura, Sung, NOK, Stephen, Heidi, Kristin, Luke, Sea, Shannon, Thomas, Will, Jamie, Wa...

Plants obviously need water to survive, but how do they interact with water in a more physical sense? How plants like trees capture and distribute precipitation can have massive consequences for ecosystem and societal processes. From soil formation to stormwater management, understanding wet plants is very important. Join me and Dr. John Van Stan as we explore how his lab is tackling the complex d...

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...

We take seeds for granted, yet still have much to learn about how they work. What factors play in to seed dormancy? How long can some seeds remain dormant? What cues are required to break dormancy? All these questions and more drive Dr. Grace Fleming's research. Join us as we explore how molecular processes involving mRNA play a role in the mysterious world of seeds. This episode was produced in p...

My guest today is Melissa Díaz-Morales from the Jardín Botánico Lankester in Costa Rica and her work focuses on orchid pollination. Orchids are known for their deceitful pollination syndromes and Melissa has spent the last few years working on a lady slipper orchid known as Phragmipedium longifolium. This flowers of this beautiful orchid appear to be mimicking aphid infestations. Why is that? List...

We revisit a conversation with PhD student Melissa Díaz-Morales and Director of the Lankester Botanical Gardens, Dr. Adam Karremans to look at how flies have managed to influence the evolution of the largest subtribe of orchids in the world - the pleurothallids. This remarkable group of orchids is home to over 5,000 unique species and presents some of the most stunning and complex floral morpholog...

Knowing what we don't know can be as important as knowing what we do. Even highly charismatic plants like orchids harbor many mysteries in need of investigation. Join me and Dr. Adam Karrenmans as we discuss his new book "Demystifying Orchid Pollination" and learn why paying attention to nature at all scales can provide valuable insights into biodiversity and conservation. This episode was produce...

Many of us are familiar with Darwin's finches and the impact animals made on his work, but what about his obsession with plants? Indeed, plants were an instrumental part of Darwin's life, helping him understand how organisms adapt and evolve. Darwin's relationship with plants are the subject of a beautifully illustrated new book "Darwin and the Art of Botany." With the help of Oak Spring Garden Fo...

Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) can grow so big and gnarly that their canopies support entire ecosystems. From lichens and liverworts, to ericaceous shrubs, these ecological communities are very important to the biodiversity of redwood habitat. However, not all redwoods have what it takes to provide habitat for these organisms. Join me and Marie Antoine as we explore the ins and outs of redwood ca...

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...

It may not seem obvious at first, but fish need plants too! From aquatic to terrestrial, plants provide fish places to breed, places to eat, and places to hide. Plants filter water and prevent erosion, ensuring fish have suitable habitat. Plants also feed the organisms that fish love to eat. Simply put, you can't protect fish without protecting and restoring native plant communities. No one knows...

The black belt prairie is a crescent-shaped grassland ecosystem curving through Mississippi and Alabama that supports high biodiversity. Sadly, like grasslands across the globe, the black belt prairie ecosystem continues to be carved up into increasingly smaller chunks of habitat. What is left often suffers from degradation due to a lack of life-giving fires. Understanding what remains in these ha...

Bats and plants rely on each other more than we know. From pollination and seed dispersal, to pest control and unexpected relationships, Dr. Merlin Tuttle wants you to know just how important bats are across the globe. Dr. Merlin Tuttle is widely recognized as the godfather of modern bat conservation and is the founder of Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation. Join us as we take a dive into the amazing...

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is a remarkable species that defines much of the Southeastern Coastal Plain of North America. However, this species isn't restricted to coastal habitats. In a small portion of its range, longleaf pines make it into more mountainous habitats. So-called mountain longleaf pines represent an increasingly rare habitat type and understanding how to restore them is vital f...

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...

Grasslands and fire are essentially inseparable. For the most part, grassland can't exist without periodic burns. But, are the beneficial effects of fire the same for all plants? How do the effects of fire change across scales? These are the kinds of questions Dr. Jared Beck and his colleagues are trying to answer. Join us for a species-eye view of the role of fire in grassland habitats. This epis...

Predators like wolves are an integral part of ecosystem health. Moreover, their interactions with their herbivore prey can have major consequences on plant communities. Join me and Dr. Sarah Hoy as we discuss decades worth of data on wolf-moose-plant interactions on Isle Royale and learn how wolves can even impact plant chemistry. This episode was produced in part by Heidi, Kristin, Luke, Sea, Sha...

What do witch hazel seeds and a speeding bullet have in common? Acceleration! Join me and Justin Jorge as we explore the ecomechanics of seed dispersal in Loropetalum chinense, Hamamelis virginiana and Fortunearia sinensis. This episode was produced in part by Heidi, Kristin, Luke, Sea, Shannon, Thomas, Will, Jamie, Waverly, Brent, Tanner, Rick, Kazys, Dorothy, Katherine, Emily, Theo, Nichole, Pau...

Besides pollination, what do flowers and bees have in common? Microbes, of course! From mutualists to pathogens and everything in between, Dr. Quinn McFrederick wants to know how plants, bees, and microbes interact. Join us for a deep dive into our growing understanding of these important relationships. This episode was produced in part by Heidi, Kristin, Luke, Sea, Shannon, Thomas, Will, Jamie, W...

Succulent poaching is a global black market business. The demand for succulents of all kinds is putting undue pressure of myriad species, many of which are on the brink of extinction. Join me and Dr. Jared Margulies as we talk about his new book "The Cactus Hunters: Desire and Extinction in the Illicit Succulent Trade" and learn how he followed the threads of the illicit succulent trade to underst...

Who hasn't marveled at the fossilized remains of a dinosaur? Though their lineage lives on today in the form of birds, historically, dinosaurs were once far more diverse. Needless to say, they shaped the world around them just as much as the world shaped them, and this certainly included interactions with plants. Plant eating dinosaurs were some of the largest organisms to ever walk this earth and...

The shoal lily (Hymenocallis coronaria) is a truly special plant. It is found in only a few rivers throughout southeastern North America where it will only grow in rocky shoals. It makes its living by wedging its bulb and contractile roots into rock crevices where clean, swift moving water washes over submerged bedrock. Sadly, wanton destruction of its freshwater habitats have caused severe declin...

Plants are habitat! This means that to restore ecosystems, we would be wise to start with plants. Such is the case for the spruce-fir forests of southern Appalachia, which are among the rarest habitat types on the continent. Join me and Kelly Holdbrooks of the Southern Highlands Reserve as we explore their collaborative efforts to get red spruce (Picea rubens) back on the landscape with the aim of...