In Defense of Plants Podcast
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Plants are everything. They are also incredibly interesting. From the smallest duckweed to the tallest redwood, the botanical world is full of wonder. Tune in for a podcast celebrating everything botany.
The High Line was once a major railway. Today, it is one of the best gardens in the United States. By focusing on and encouraging native plants, horticulturists at horticulture at the High Line is sup...
Fireflies are among the most celebrated organisms on Earth. What is not to love about their incredible light displays? However, fireflies can't exist without habitat and plants are that habitat. Revis...
This episode explores the nuances of why it is so important to plant native plants. Native plants are the cornerstone of nearly every ecosystem on Earth because they are both food and habitat wrapped...
The Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) has attained celebrity status in recent times, but that hasn't always been the case. For over a century, the Joshua tree was viewed as a useless and repulsive plant...
Whether you realize it or not, our lives depend on the native plant communities that comprise and support regional biodiversity. As we lose habitat, we lose species, and we lose the checks and balance...
On face value, flower colors would seem to have everything to do with pollination, but it is far more complex than that. The pigments that give flowers the colors we can see can have many different fu...
Understanding the relationships among plants can reveal so much about the history of our planet and the mechanisms of evolution. This is why Dr. Peter Quakenbush has spent so much time trying to under...
Changes in biodiversity are happening all over the globe. From losses to homogenization, understanding the affects of biodiversity change are paramount to understanding how ecosystems function. Nowher...
Say "old growth" and we all too often picture ancient forests with large, gnarly trees. However, forests aren't the only habitat types that can reach old growth status. Prairies, savannas, and woodlan...
Sedges (genus Carex) can be an intimidating group of plants to get your head wrapped around, but it doesn't have to be that way. One key element to understanding them is knowing what to look for, whic...
The odds of encountering a prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp.) in your lifetime is high no matter where you live. That is how abundant, diverse, and charismatic these cacti truly are. For all of their...
Getting struck by lightning is always thought of as a bad thing, but what if it wasn't? Trees can't get up and escape when storms roll in and the chances of one getting struck by lightning increases a...
Go looking for information on rare plant population health and it can be surprisingly hard to come by. Plant monitoring, especially over the long term, is a challenge and data have not always kept up...
What does it take to save orchids from extinction? Saving Orchids by Dr's Philip Seaton and Larry Zettler showcase the dedicated folks who are making it happen across the world. From why orchids need...
Visit the Sonoran Desert and you too will fall in love with its beauty and diversity. It is truly one of the most incredible places on earth. Dr. Ben Wilder agrees which is why he has dedicated his li...
What does it mean to be a successful plant? Reproduction? Population growth? What factors influence these important events and which contribute more to a population through time? The answers to these...
The woolly devil (Ovicula biradiata) is a fascinating and unique member of the daisy family (Asteraceae) that was only recently described to science. It was first found in Big Bend National Park in Te...
Plants ARE habitat and that doesn't stop when they die. Countless species of microbes, fungi, arthropods, and more not only take up residence in dead plant material but also require it to complete the...
The emergence of leaves, the blooming of flowers, the arrival of pollinators... these are all biological events that are closely tied to the changing seasons. The study of this linkage is called Pheno...
Parents and children don't always get along. Sometimes they can even be competitors. Conflicts often lead to interesting evolutionary adaptations and mosses are no stranger to this. Join me and Dr. Je...
Spend any time in the southern Appalachian Mountains and you are bound to cross paths with Galax urceolata. This wonderful little evergreen herb seems to be at home in a variety of habitats from fores...
Mangrove forests are dynamic places and so too are the people that study them. From carbon capture and peat formation, to restoration and hydrology, these coastal habitats offer curious minds plenty t...
Paw paw (Asimina triloba) is a charismatic and special species. It is the most northerly growing member of a mostly tropical family. It also has considerable influence on its herbaceous neighbors. Joi...
Mosses, liverworts, and lichens live in a world of their own. Not unlike the trees they grow on, these tiny organisms must play out the dramas of obtaining the water, nutrients, and light they need to...
Invasive species reduce native biodiversity and hinder an ecosystem's ability to support life, including our own. Managing invasive species can be very challenging, but that doesn't intimidate people...
What do cashews (Anacardium spp.), mangoes (Mangifera spp.), pistachios (Pistacia spp.), and poison ivy (Toxicodendron spp.) have in common? They are all members of the family Anacardiaceae! Revisit t...
January 2025 marks the 10 year anniversary (!!!) of the In Defense of Plants Podcast. To celebrate, I thought it would be fun to revisit the first episode of the podcast. Travel back a decade to a tin...
The herbarium world is a fascinating one. These botanical repositories are goldmines of data and help us understand the present by looking at the past. But what kind of future questions can herbaria h...
Leave the leaves! It is a phrase you hear a lot these days, but why is it so important to keep leaves and other plant debris on your landscape? These are the questions that drive Dr. Max Ferlato. Leaf...
What is a species? On the surface, this seems like an easy question to answer. Get a bunch of biologists in the room together and you will quickly see it can be a bit of a loaded question. Questions l...