In Defense of Plants Podcast
Episodes
Ep. 376 - Adventures in Azalea Pollination
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Azaleas are beloved by many yet countless mysteries remain about the ecologies of various species. For instance, who are their main pollinators? Are t...
Ep. 375 - Insights from the Popcorn Flowers
26 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You never know what we can from plants until we take a closer look. Such is the case for the popcorn flowers (genus Cryptantha). These members of the ...
Ep. 374 - A Milkweed on the Brink
19 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As far as milkweeds are concerned, Mead's milkweed (Asclepias meadii) doesn't grab a lot of headlines. That is a shame because it is a milkweed in des...
Ep. 373 - The Sex Lives of Yucca Revisited
12 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We dive into the back catalogue this episode to explore the world of Yucca pollination. Yuccas are cool plants just based on appearances but their pol...
Ep. 372 - Cyanogenic Plants
05 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cyanide is one of the most potent toxins on our planet and a bewildering variety of plants put in the effort to produce it. Join me and Dr. Scott Zona...
Ep. 371 - The Million Orchid Project
29 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A massive science experiment aimed at both studying and reintroducing orchids to their native landscapes? Yes, please! Join me and Dr. Jason Downing a...
Ep. 370 - Interview with a Sedge-Head
22 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are diving into the back catalogue to appreciate an under-appreciated group of plants - the sedges (genus Carex). Join me and my f...
Ep. 369 - A Historical Perspective on the Coontie
15 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is all about North America's most northerly cycad - the coontie (Zamia integrifolia). A fascinating species both ecologically and cultura...
Ep. 368 - Bumblebees and their Habitat
08 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If we care about organisms like bumblebees, we need to protect and restore their habitats and plants are that habitat. In this episode we hear from Se...
Ep. 367 - Louisiana Iris Resurgence
01 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Louisiana irises are a group of 6 wetland species native to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and other Gulf states. These irises are as interesting as ...
Ep. 366 - Forest Herbs in a Changing World
24 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that the bulk of biodiversity in temperate forests lies not in the trees but in the herb layer? Forest herbs are vital to ecosystem healt...
Ep. 365 - Fireflies & Plants
17 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fireflies are among the most celebrated organisms on Earth. What is not to love about their incredible light displays? However, fireflies can't exist ...
Ep. 364 - The Versatility of Living Plant Collections
10 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Living plant collections at botanical gardens can serve many functions. They can be aesthetic, they can be educational, they can be conservation focus...
Ep. 363 - Celebrating the Grasses
03 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Try to imagine the world without grasses... It would be a very strange place, wouldn't it? This group of plants have shaped the Earth as we know it in...
Ep. 362 - Watch for Wasps (because they are awesome!)
27 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A world without wasps is a world we wouldn't want to live in. This diverse group of predatory insects is amazingly diverse and they all have a role to...
Ep. 361 - In Praise of Ancient Trees
20 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For trees, living for hundreds or even thousands of years is akin to winning the lottery. So many things can go wrong between germination and living l...
Ep. 360 - Exploring a 4.5 Million Year Old Flora
13 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you could travel back in time 4.5 million years, how different would the flora look in your area? That is a difficult question to answer because we...
Ep. 359 - Removing Monocultures & Bolstering Biodiversity
06 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For geologist turned botanist Paul Heiple, sitting back and letting an invasive plant outcompete the plants that support native ecology was not an opt...
Ep. 358 - Oaks, Wasps, Galls, and Ants
27 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What started as a question about some strange "seeds" in ant ant nest turned into an explosion of scientific investigations into the links between oak...
Ep. 357 - Plant Architecture Revisited
20 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we revisit a conversation I had back in 2017 with Dr. Karl Niklas. This is one of my favorite conversations because his work changed ...
Ep. 356 - Pollen & Plant Stress
13 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pollen, stress, ecosystem health... These three things are more connected than you may think. Join me and my guest Dr. Jeff Benca as we dive into rese...
Ep. 355 - Figuring Out a Floating Aquatic Fern
06 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) is a mysterious floating aquatic fern from Brazil. It is also one of the most aggressive aquatic invasive species, a...
Ep. 354 - Of Orchids & Fungi
30 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The relationship between orchids and mycorrhizal fungi is not necessarily a harmonious one. From day one, orchids live more like parasites than mutual...
Ep. 353 - A Deep Dive on Some Sweetshrubs
23 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you thought you knew sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridanus), think again! Join botanist Katie Horton and me for a deep dive into the amazing and myste...
Ep. 352 - Shared Floras a World Apart
16 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Eastern North America and eastern Asia share a surprising amount of plant lineages. Termed the "eastern Asian–eastern North American floristic disju...
Ep. 351 - Can Pseudophoenix Rise From the Ashes?
09 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to save a rare palm from extinction? You are about to find out! Listen in as we sit down with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden's Co...
Ep. 350 - Exploding Flowers
02 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You may have heard about exploding fruit but what about exploding flowers? That is exactly what we are discussing in this episode. For Dr. Joan Edward...
Ep. 349 - A Prairie at Home
26 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What would you rather have for a backyard, an industrial ag field or your own homegrown patch of prairie? For entomologist Fred Delcomyn, the choice w...
Ep. 348 - Reversing the Nightmare on Elm Streets
19 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we sit down with Ecologist Dr. Leila Pinchot to learn about her work on American elm (Ulmus americana) restoration. Devastated by the...
Ep. 347 - Resisting the Emerald Ash Borer
12 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The invasive emerald ash borer has devastated North America's ash trees (genus Fraxinus), but we aren't going to stand by and let it happen. Join Ecol...
Ep. 346 - A Longleaf Adventure Revisited
05 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This time of year has me thinking of friendships both past and present, which is why I wanted to revisit this old episode. What you are about to hear ...
Ep. 345 - Reconstructing Two Centuries of Midwest Prairie Fire History
28 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Understanding the role of fire in an ecosystem is very important. It can also be a very difficult task where good data are limited. This hasn't stopp...
Ep. 344 - A Thistle on the Brink
21 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) just might be one of the most intensely studied endangered plants in the world and yet its numbers are still in d...
Ep. 343 - Native Seed Science
14 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Unlocking the mysteries of seed germination is vital for effective plant conservation and restoration. Join Dr. Marcello De Vitis and me as we discuss...
Ep. 342 - The Way of the Gardener
07 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gardener, author, and environmentalist Lyndon Penner returns to the podcast to talk about his new book, "The Way of the Gardener: Lost in the Weeds Al...
Ep. 341 - Moonwort Madness
31 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the mysterious world of moonworts (Ophioglossaceae) with botanist and moonwort fanatic, Steve Popovich. Whereas we still h...
Ep. 340 - The Race to Save a Remnant Prairie
24 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Upwards of 170 million acres of prairie once covered North America. Today, humans have reduced this to only 0.01%. The remnant prairies (fragments of ...
Ep. 339 - Urban Lichens
17 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lichens have so much to teach us about our planet and yet we have so much to learn about them! That is where people like Dr. Jessi Allen come in. She ...
Ep. 338 - How Old are the Oldest Trees?
10 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How long can a tree live? How old are the oldest trees? The answers to questions like these are more nuanced that some might think. We sit down with c...
Ep. 337 - DNA Duplication & Plant Evolution
03 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we journey back in time with the help of DNA and fossil evidence to learn what they can teach us about plant evolution. Specifically,...
Ep. 336 - Parasitic Plants & their Hosts
26 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do parasitic plants find an appropriate host and what determines their range of host possibilities? These are the kinds of questions that drive Dr...
Ep. 335 - A Global Effort to Help Magnolias
19 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Magnolias are among the most iconic trees in the world. This family (Magnoliaceae) has also been around for a very long time. But, for all their histo...
Ep. 334 - An Azalea Extravaganza
12 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
To look upon a flowering azalea is to bare witness to one of our planets most stunning botanical spectacles. These ericaceous shrubs enjoy celebrity s...
Ep. 333 - Variability in Plant Coloration
05 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Plants come in a bewildering variety of colors. Even within species, colors can vary from individual to individual. How and why color can differs are ...
Ep. 332 - The Ecology of Douglas Fir
29 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we celebrate one of the most venerable conifers in North America - the Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). This wide ranging species...
Ep. 331 - Unraveling Quillwort Mysteries
22 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Their ancestors once dominated the coal swamps of the Carboniferous Period, growing into massive trees that could reach upwards of 160 feet (50 m) int...
Ep. 330 - Horticultural Taxonomy
15 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever walked through a plant nursery or garden center and wondered about who keeps track of all those named varieties, selections, and cultiva...
Ep. 329 - A Closer Look at Algae
08 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's important to give credit to the small but important things in life, like algae! In this episode we dive under the microscope lens with Julia Van ...
Ep. 328 - Behind the Scenes at Prairie Moon Nursery
01 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore how a small native seed company selling native plant seeds out of their living room grew into one of the biggest native pl...
Ep. 327 - A Rallying Cry for Restoration
25 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The United Nations kicked off 2021 is a rallying cry for restoring ecosystems around the globe. The so-called UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is ai...
Ep. 326 - Trillium Diversity: A Story of Ants & Seed Dispersal
18 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores the amazing world of Trillium diversity. This charismatic genus is incredible in its own right, but what makes it so diverse onl...
Ep. 325 - Toxic Soils & Drinking Water From Rocks
11 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone needs a bit of calcium in their diet, but too much of it can cause serious health issues. The same is true for plants. Growing in soils high ...
Ep. 324 - Palms Through Deep Time
04 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Palms (Arecaceae) are among the best known and easily recognizable groups of plants on Earth. Their diversity is staggering and they play important ro...
Ep. 323 - Cacti, Microbes, and More!
27 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Cacti may appear like strong, independent organisms but that simply isn't the case. No organism operates in a vacuum and cacti are no exception to thi...
Ep. 322 - Rue-production in Thalictrum
20 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Plant sex is strange. Rooted in place, plants have had to get really creative (evolutionarily speaking) when it comes to reproduction. Moreover, there...
Ep. 321 - Rapid Changes in Slow-Growing Ecosystems
13 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Disturbance is an integral part of any ecosystem, but as the human presence on this planet continues to grow, disturbances are becoming more frequent ...
Ep. 320 - The Prehistoric Path to Flowering Plants
06 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Resolving the origins of flowering plants requires an understanding of how their morphology came to be. After all, despite their rapid appearance in t...
Ep. 319 - Evolution of the Seed
30 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Seeds are among the most important biological structures on this planet. Seeds have been instrumental in the diversification of plants, allowing them ...
Ep. 318 - The Challenges of Protecting an Endemic Mint
23 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
More than half of the species on the Endangered Species List are plants and yet plants receive less than 5% of all conservation funding. If we care ab...
Ep. 317 - Leaf Margins, Paleoclimates, and Continental Movements
16 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are the leaf margins smooth or toothed? How dense are the leaf veins? Are the petioles thick or thin? The answers to these questions go far beyond hel...
Ep. 316 - How an Asteroid Changed Neotropical Rainforests
09 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The asteroid that slammed into the Yucatan Peninsula some 66 million years ago marked the end of the Cretaceous and the reign of the dinosaurs. As fam...
Ep. 315 - Deer & Forest Health
02 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In today's human-dominated world, healthy forests require healthy and sustainable management practices. To do this, we must try to understand the myri...
Ep. 314 - The Silversword Alliance
25 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the wild world of the Hawaiian silversword alliance. This group of daisy relatives represents one of the mos...
Ep. 313 - Of Bluebells & Bracken
18 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) are a biological treasure throughout parts of Europe and the British Isles. When left undisturbed, these spring-...
Ep. 312 - The Importance of Seed Banking
11 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have been seed banking in one form or another for millennia. Whereas historically, seed banking has largely focused on agriculturally important...
Ep. 311 - How Oaks Get Around
04 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is all about the fascinating world of oak seed dispersal. Many of us have undoubtedly enjoyed watching frenzied squirrels and jays hurrie...
Ep. 310 - Plants & Cities
28 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Cities are usually designed with only humans in mind, but that doesn't mean myriad other forms of life aren't adapting to live in these human-dominate...
Ep 309 - Plants, Pollinators, Nature, and Society
21 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pollination is arguably among the most important ecological processes on our planet. Entire careers have been devoted to trying to understand the coun...
Ep. 308 - The Street Life of Trees
14 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What do street trees and oceanic islands have in common? It turns out a lot, at least from an ecological perspective. I sit down with Dr. Robert Warre...
Ep. 307 - Sleuthing to Save Plants
07 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of detective work goes into saving plants from extinction and that is what we are discussing in this episode. Dr. Anne Frances joins us to talk ...
Ep. 306 - The Art & Science of Rock Gardening
28 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rock gardening is so much more than gardening with rocks. No one knows this better than Panayoti Kelaidis. A self-proclaimed acolyte in the cathedral ...
Ep. 305 - In Defense of Plants
21 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In Defense of Plants is now a book! Hitting shelves on February 23rd, "In Defense of Plants: An Exploration into the Wonder of Plants" explores my int...
Ep. 304 - Proteas: Protecting These Botanical Shape-Shifters
14 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For those with even passing familiarity, the proteas represent something akin to botanical royalty. This family of plants exhibits a bewildering array...
Ep. 303 - Lessons in Biogeography from Conifers
07 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode occurs at the intersection of botany and geology, two inseparable components of the natural world. For Dr. David Charlet, what started wi...
Ep. 302 - Community-Based Oak Conservation
31 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We expand further on the topic of oak conservation in this episode by looking at two examples of in situ oak conservation projects. Joining us from th...
Ep. 301 - Oaks in Trouble
24 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Oaks (genus Quercus) are among the most culturally and ecologically important trees wherever they are native, which is what makes the next sentence so...
Ep. 300 - Reconstructing a Cretaceous Flora
17 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine being able to travel back 120 million years to the Early Cretaceous and scoop up handfuls of the forest floor. The amount you would discover i...
Ep. 299 - Aquatic Plants & Phytoremediation
10 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Grab your snorkel and goggles because this episode takes us underwater. I sit down for a conversation with Assistant Professor Dr. La Toya Kissoon-Cha...
Ep. 298 - Living the Gypsum Life: How Geology Can Drive Speciation
03 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You may have heard of the mineral gypsum through its use in making plasters, chalks, and drywall, but are you aware of its influence on plant speciati...
Ep. 297 - A Deep Dive on the Cashew Family
27 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What do cashews (Anacardium spp.), mangoes (Mangifera spp.), pistachios (Pistacia spp.), and poison ivy (Toxicodendron spp.) have in common? They are ...
Ep. 296 - Expanding Your Barberry Horizon
20 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we do a deep dive into the barberry family, Berberidaceae, with environmentalist, author, and garden designer Lyndon Penner. Many of ...
Ep. 295 - Sniffing Out Solutions: How Dogs Can Help Us Save Plants
13 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dogs are among our oldest companions. Our propensity for cohabitation and collaboration leads to unique bonds that are rare in the animal kingdom. In ...
Ep. 294 - Herbaria: Past, Present, and Future
06 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode takes a deep dive into the past, present, and future of herbaria. I sit down with Director of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, Dr....
Ep. 293 - How Plants Fight Disease
29 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From plant conservation to food security, we desperately need to understand how plants fight disease. As you can probably imagine, the world of plant-...
Ep. 292 - Investigating the Black Market Trade in Dudleya farinosa
22 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Plant poaching is abhorrent and we can’t work towards a solution without a proper understanding of the motivations behind it. That's where people li...
Ep. 291 - Tales from the Cliff: Preventing Brighamia Extinction
15 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From feral goats, pigs, and deer, to the extinction of it's suspected pollinator, the ʻŌlulu (Brighamia insignis) has a lot stacked against it. Yet,...
Ep. 290 - The Chemical Symphony of Plant Perception
08 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Plant perception: few topics are the subject of more pseudoscience and misinformation than this one. Luckily there are people like Dr. Lauren Erland w...
Ep. 289 - The Personal Journey of Gardening
01 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Writer, naturalist, and gardener Dan Hinkley returns to the podcast to talk about his new book "Windcliff: A Story of People, Plants, and Gardens," wh...
Ep. 288 - Doin' Good by Grasses
25 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whether we realize it or not, this planet and all life on it are influenced by grasses. Among the most important are grasses belonging to the tribe An...
Ep. 287 - Invasion Meltdowns
18 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Invasive species are second only to habitat destruction in causing loss of biodiversity on this planet. Moving one species to a habitat where it didn'...
Ep. 286 - Grappling With Plant Extinctions
11 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is all about one of the most difficult topics in natural history - extinction. Plants set the foundation for nearly all life on Earth and...
Ep. 285 - Eyes in the Sky: Plant Conservation's Aerial Assistant
04 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Treacherous topography can often serve as a safeguard for rare plant populations. Being difficult or even impossible to reach can protect plants from ...
Ep. 284 - Trees in a Changing Climate
27 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Climates have always changed but thanks to human activity it is happening at an ever-increasing rate. For sessile organisms like trees, this often mea...
Ep. 283 - The Cultural and Ecological Implications of the Salep Orchid Trade
20 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is dedicated to the trade of a culinary ingredient that involves multiple orchid species. Salep is derived from the tubers of many terres...
Ep. 282 - The Rosid Radiation
13 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When we think of biodiversity and evolution, the tropical regions of our planet are frequently touted as hotspots for speciation. Indeed, the tropics ...
Ep. 281 - Sustainable Recreation & Plant Conservation
06 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are many ways to make hiking one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly activities on Earth, but building trails on rare and uniqu...
Ep. 280 - At the Intersection of Conservation and Horticulture
30 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we are joined by Conservation Horticulturist Emma Neigel of the Atlanta Botanical Garden to talk about the intersection of horticultur...
Ep. 279 - A Pollinator Plant of the Year Program
23 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There is a lot of information out there on which plants to choose for your garden. Often this information is geared towards a wide audience living in ...
Ep. 278 - Glossopteris: Resloving a Mystery 299 Million Years in the Making
16 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Glossopteris flora is one of the most important links that we have to the Permian Era. These trees dominated the supercontinent of Gondwana from a...
Ep. 277 - Pitcher Plant Symbioses
09 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we look at what's going on inside the pitchers of carnivorous pitcher plants. Besides functioning as organs for prey capture and diges...