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PODCAST

Bad Seeds

The biggest black market you’ve never heard of is blooming right under your nose. Whether it’s a 4,000-pound cactus shoveled from the Arizona desert or delicate orchids pinched from the tangled jungle of Peru, rare plants are at the center of a rapidly growing and lucrative world of crime. Hosted by plant expert Summer Rayne Oakes, Bad Seeds plunges straight into it, featuring the buyers, the sellers, the obsessives, and those who came face-to-face with the criminals behind an underworld few know

true crime nature

All Episodes

40:50

Introducing: What Happened to Her

Bad Seeds ·

2026/10/01

Lisette Johnson survived what almost no one does: her husband shot her, then killed himself. Murder-suicides happen every week in America, and they usually disappear after a local headline — with the perpetrator dead, there's no trial, no unfolding story. Except, Lisette lived, and what she told Melissa Jeltsen has shaped how she's covered these cases ever since. When a murder-suicide made national news this spring — Virginia's former Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax killed his wife,

en-US

38:56

The Case of the Missing Novelist [from Very Special...

Bad Seeds ·

2026/08/19

Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. But her biggest mystery unfolded outside the pages of her books. In this episode, Dana examines the 11 days in 1926 when the beloved author went missing, and the rollicking media circus inspired by her disappearance. Listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

45:34

The White Death [from Very Special Episodes]

Bad Seeds ·

2026/06/10

In the winter of 1939, Finland faced overwhelming odds. The Soviet Union was invading with hundreds of thousands of troops. Standing in their way was an unlikely defender: a shy farmer and expert marksman who would later become known as “The White Death.” But behind the myth was simply a reserved man fighting for his homeland. Listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason EnglishWritten by Lucas ReillyStory Editor is

en-US

50:56

Exit Strategy: The Family Who Vanished Into Siberia...

Bad Seeds ·

2026/05/09

In 1978, Soviet geologists flying over Siberia spotted something impossible: a family living in total isolation, untouched for decades by the modern world. But when outsiders finally reached their remote cabin, the family’s hidden world began to change forever. * Special thanks to Rebecca E. Marshall for letting us share clips from her documentary, The Forest in Me. We also want to shout out the film's composer, Xylouris White. You can stream The Forest in Me right now on Pijama Films. Listen

en-US

32:46

Zero Gravity: The Zambian Space Program [from Very...

Bad Seeds ·

2026/03/20

In the 1960s, a newly independent Zambia entered the space race with a bold — and baffling — plan. Led by self-declared “Minister of Space” Edward Nkoloso, a team of would-be astronauts trained in oil drums, dreamed of Mars, and captured the world’s attention. To Western observers, it looked like a joke. But Zambia's space ambitions may have been a front for something far more earthly — and far more dangerous. * Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason

en-US

50:32

Inside the Olympic Prison [from Very Special Episodes]

Bad Seeds ·

2026/02/20

In the winter of 1980, the world turned its eyes to Lake Placid, New York, host of the Winter Olympics. But behind the pageantry, another structure loomed in the Adirondack woods. Built to house 1,800 athletes, the Olympic Village looked less like a dormitory than a detention center — because that’s exactly what it was designed to become. * Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason EnglishWritten by Zaron BurnettSenior Producer is Josh FisherEditing and Sound Design by Jesse

en-US

49:52

The Cabbage Patch Crisis [from Very Special Episodes]

Bad Seeds ·

2025/12/22

In 1983, a cherubic, homely doll triggered something close to national hysteria. Parents fought in store aisles. Shelves were stripped bare. Even the New York mafia found itself selling children’s toys. Cabbage Patch Kids went from handmade curiosities to the most coveted object in America — igniting riots, corporate battles, and a moral panic that stretched from suburban malls to federal courtrooms. All in a single Christmas season. And the frenzy didn’t end when the Kids

en-US

47:21

Skylab Is Falling [from Very Special Episodes]

Bad Seeds ·

2025/12/12

In 1979, the world watched as NASA’s 77-ton space station made its fiery plunge back to Earth. When Skylab broke apart over a sleepy Australian town, the falling debris set off a global media frenzy. This is the story of the night the sky actually fell — and the teenager who became an improbable hero. Hi,Bad Seeds fans! Check out this story from the Very Special Episodes podcast. You can listen to new episodes of VSE every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. * Today's episode is a

en-US

45:00

Very Special Episodes: The Dogs of Chernobyl

Bad Seeds ·

2025/11/21

When Russia invaded Ukraine, hundreds of starving dogs were trapped inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. For years, Oregon-based veterinarian Dr. Jenn Betz had been their lifeline. Now, with Putin’s troops occupying the site, she had only one thought: How do I get back there? * Hi, Bad Seeds listeners! Check out this story from the Very Special Episodes podcast. You can listen to new episodes of VSE every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and

en-US

2:57

Check out the Growing Joy with Plants Podcast

Bad Seeds ·

2023/06/08

Hey! This is Summer Rayne Oakes, host of Bad Seeds. Our season is wrapped, but if you want even more plant content, I wanted to recommend another podcast that I love.Growing Joy with Plants explores the plant person connection, and teaches you how to care for plants successfully and cultivate joy in your life by doing so. Click over to Growing Joy with Plants and subscribe, and take a listen to this short trailer to get to know Maria better. You can listen on Apple, Spotify, and follow Maria on

en-US

40:23

Episode 8: The Destroyer of Worlds

Bad Seeds ·

2023/05/31

In Bad Seeds, we’ve explored the crimes of obsessed hobbyists, of organized criminals, and even corrupt governments. But what about the elephant in the room? What about when the places entrusted to conserve flora are committing the crimes? And what about those risking everything… to protect plant-life and our planet? This is the last episode of Season 1. But! You can get more plant content by following host Summer Rayne Oakes on her YouTube channels Plant One on Me and Flock. See

en-US

30:43

Episode 7: The Tree That Bleeds

Bad Seeds ·

2023/05/24

Zambia is home to a rare and coveted rosewood called mukula, but the country has been losing its treeline for years. The Zambian government put regulations and penalties in place to stop the illegal logging of this vital resource, but still, the deforestation continued. So what was accounting for the rapid disappearance of mukula? One undercover investigation exposed a chain of corruption and fraud – leading all the way to the top of Zambia’s government.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

31:23

Episode 6: The Gray Market

Bad Seeds ·

2023/05/17

Gibson is a favorite guitar brand for the stars. But in 2009, federal agents stormed one of its warehouses, looking for illegal goods. And what ensued was a years-long debate of government overreach versus environmental exploitation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

31:06

Episode 5: Business Opportunities

Bad Seeds ·

2023/05/10

On November 25, 2019 in Tortugas Bay, six fishermen prepare their boat and begin motoring out onto the water. Their Destination? Isla de Cedros. What appears to be an innocent fishing trip will result in the deaths of two of these men. In this episode, plant poaching collides with organized crime: how cartels, mobs, and criminal syndicates might be connected to some of your favorite plants. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

31:34

Episode 4: Charming Personalities

Bad Seeds ·

2023/05/03

In the Lonely Planet Guide, the editors provide one simple admonishment to travelers considering a journey to Panama’s Darien Gap: “Don’t even think about it!” But that didn’t deter English orchid enthusiast Tom Hart Dyke, who plunged into the forest in 2000 to see orchids – but ended up spending ten months in captivity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

34:10

Episode 3: A Peculiar Hobby

Bad Seeds ·

2023/04/26

In 2014, five tourists traveled to the United States to marvel at cacti in the national parks. But when it becomes clear they’re doing more than just looking, U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents begin surveilling the suspects. In this episode, we examine how there’s a thin line between passion… and obsession. Is there a difference between overzealous collection and callous crime? And does your motivation – whether pure admiration or a paycheck – matter?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

27:38

Episode 2: Plant Mania

Bad Seeds ·

2023/04/19

Philodendron Spiritus-Sancti is one of the rarest plants in the world. Many call it the “Holy Grail of Philodendrons.” In May 2020, the San Diego Botanic Garden had one of these plants as their centerpiece. But in the dead of night, it was stolen. In this episode of Bad Seeds, a look inside a booming craze for houseplants and how a cultural obsession might be killing the things we love the most. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

31:55

Episode 1: Unscrupulous Collection

Bad Seeds ·

2023/04/12

In 2020, police in Italy raided an apartment in a small coastal town in the Adriatic. Inside it were one million euros worth of stolen goods. But Italian police didn’t find firearms, drugs, or other contraband; they found succulents. Specifically, 1,000 specimens of Copiapoa cacti, all stolen from the Atacama desert in Chile. This is just one of many stories like this. There’s a growing black market that deals in stolen plants. Since the pandemic, theft of plants has become more rampant and more

en-US

1:51

Introducing: Bad Seeds

Bad Seeds ·

2023/04/05

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

19 results

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