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PODCAST

In Defense of Plants Podcast

In Defense of Plants

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.

science natural sciences

All Episodes

00:49:12

Ep. 566 - The Wonderful World of Bryophytes

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2026/02/22

Bryophytes, AKA mosses, liverworts, and hornworts, are ubiquitous components of ecosystems around the world yet they are all too often underappreciated. Luckily, people like Brittney Miller are doing everything in their power to change that. What started with immense frustration turned into a life-long love affair with all things bryophyte. Join us for a wonderful deep dive into the secret world of these tiny plants. This episode was produced in part by Tanya, Neil, Matthew, April, Dana, Lilith,

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00:50:31

Ep. 565 - Let's Botanize!

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2026/02/15

Botanizing is a skill set that, like muscles, must be exercised regularly. Whether just starting out or a seasoned specialist, botanical ID takes repetition. That doesn't mean it has to be dry or boring! My guests today are Dr.'s Ben Goulet-Scott and Jacob Suissa of Let's Botanize. When they aren't teaching about and researching plants, they are producing lots of great videos helping to connect people to plants. Most recently, they have published a book titled "Let's Botanize: 101 Ways to Connect

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00:52:10

Ep. 564 - Leaf Fossils from a Hot House Climate

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2026/02/08

Journey back in time some 60 million years to the Cenozoic with Dr. Ellen Currano by looking at fossil leaves. Aside from just being cool, leaf fossils can tell us a lot about the ecology of long extinct ecosystems. For instance, leaf margins can tell you about things like temperature while leaf size can tell you about precipitation. Also, looking at fossilized insect damage can reveal important insights into how climate influences herbivory. Join us for a deep dive on the myriad scientific insights

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00:55:53

Ep. 563 - The Harmful Consequences of Mosquito Sprays

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2026/02/01

Mosquito sprays and fogs only kill mosquitos, right? Wrong! The kinds of pesticides used to control mosquito populations are lethal to all manner of insects and other invertebrates. The use of these chemicals can have serious impacts on biodiversity and their marketing doesn't tell this side of the story. Join me and Dr. Aaron Anderson of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation as we look at the science of these pesticides and what you can do in your yard and in your community to improve

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00:45:32

Ep. 562 - Life After Poaching

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2026/01/25

Plant poaching is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide and it doesn't get the attention it deserves. While the act of poaching plants from the wild ravages species and ecosystems alike, what happens to plants after the poachers have been caught? That is exactly what we are talking about in this episode. Director of Horticulture for the San Diego Zoo Safari Park Raj Brown joins us to explore how they ensure that poached cycads, cacti, and other succulents can continue to contribute to plant

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00:49:51

Ep. 561 - The Soil Seed Bank & Restoration

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2026/01/18

What is the soil seed bank and how does it influence the outcomes of restoration ecology? Seeds of various species can remain in the soil over a range of time periods and when and why they emerge has the potential to improve restoration outcomes. Join me and Dr. Akasha Faist as we examine the influence soil seed banks can have on habitat restoration. This episode was produced in part by Neil, Matthew, April, Dana, Lilith, Sanza, Eva, Yellowroot, Wisewren, Nadia, Heidi, Blake, Josh, Laure, R.J.,

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00:50:21

Ep. 560 - Revisiting Earth's First Forests

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2026/01/11

The Devonian Period was for plants what the Cambrian Period was for animals. Land plants really started to experiment with new forms of growth some 380 million years ago which led to the establishment of the first forests on Earth. We revisit a conversation with Dr. Chris Berry who was part of the team that recently discovered the oldest fossil evidence of forests. As you are going to hear, these forests were very different from the ones we know and love today.This episode was produced in part by

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00:44:21

Ep. 559 - Looking Back on a Year of Botany

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2026/01/04

The wonderful Sara Johnson returns to the podcast to look back at a year of botanizing in 2025. Join us as we celebrate our favorite botanical encounters of last year. This episode was produced in part by Matthew, April, Dana, Lilith, Sanza, Eva, Yellowroot, Wisewren, Nadia, Heidi, Blake, Josh, Laure, R.J., Carly, Lucia, Dana, Sarah, Lauren, Strych Mind, Linda, Sylvan, Austin, Sarah, Ethan, Elle, Steve, Cassie, Chuck, Aaron, Gillian, Abi, Rich, Shad, Maddie, Owen, Linda, Alana, Sigma, Max, Richard,

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00:53:38

Ep. 558 - Insights into Pitcher Plant Evolution

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2025/12/28

The drivers of evolution that result in the diversity of life we see around us are complex and fascinating. Nowhere is that more apparent than in pitcher plant genera like Nepenthes and Sarracenia. Join me and Dr. Kadeem Gilbert as we explore the myriad ways he and his colleagues try to tease apart the evolutionary ecology of these enigmatic carnivorous plants. This episode was produced in part by Diane, Matthew, April, Dana, Lilith, Sanza, Eva, Yellowroot, Wisewren, Nadia, Heidi, Blake, Josh,

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00:45:30

Ep. 557 - How to Help Fireflies

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2025/12/21

Fireflies, lightning bugs, whatever you call them, these wonderful bioluminescent beetles are wonderfully diverse, occur in a variety of habitats, and they need our help. Habitat loss is causing declines for many species but there is a lot we can do to reverse this loss! Surprise surprise, a lot of it involves native plants. Join me and Ben Pfeiffer of Firefly Conservation & Research to learn more about how we can protect, restore, and create firefly habitat. This episode was produced in part by

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00:40:11

Ep. 556 - From Seeds to Plants: A Plant Conservation...

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2025/12/14

Plant conservation comes in many forms. Today we explore a plant conservation pipeline that starts with propagation and continues through to reintroducing rare plants back into the wild. Conservation Collections Manager for the Desert Botanical Gardens Steve Blackwell takes us behind the scenes of the Garden’s living collection, where rare, threatened, and endangered species are collected, propagated, and carefully curated for both research and recovery efforts. This episode was produced in part by

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00:51:39

Ep. 555 - The Rookie Gardener

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2025/12/07

Gardening can be a daunting enterprise, especially for a beginner. Heck, even skilled gardeners still kill plants. The quest to become a better gardener is a lifelong journey and thanks to people like my guest today, taking the leap doesn't have to be scary. Joining us is horticulturist and author Chloe Foster who has written an amazing book called "The Rookie Gardener" to help you in your gardening journey. Listen in as we explore how feeding native caterpillars with native plants started her

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01:01:23

Ep. 554 - How Plants Handle Heat Stress

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2025/11/30

Heat stress is a major component of plant health and it in growing more and more timely each year. Understanding how plants do or do not tolerate heat can teach us a lot about not only individual species, but communities and habitats as a whole. Joining us to talk about this is Dr. Brad Posch who is trying to understand the consequences of heat stress at the leaf level. He and his colleagues are tackling these questions in the Sonoran Desert where so many plants are living on a knife edge of

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00:45:38

Ep. 553 - Soil Microbes & Desert Plant Restoration

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2025/11/23

Deserts present a unique set of challenges to plants, especially when you are trying to restore them to the landscape. Drought, heat, soil salinity and more can make desert plant restoration seriously challenging. Luckily, Ali Schuessler and her colleagues at the Desert Botanical Garden are working hard to understand if soil microbes like fungi can help put ecosystems back together. Join us for a fascinating look at this process. This episode was produced in part by April, Dana, Lilith, Sanza, Eva,

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00:50:08

Ep. 552 - Native Plant Seed Supply Chain

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2025/11/16

One of the biggest hurdles to native plant gardening is sourcing native plants. Whereas nurseries are starting to fill the demand, it is nevertheless difficult to keep up with demand. Sourcing seed from the wild is a major part of this process, but how do we do it ethically? Stripping native plant populations of their seeds isn't good for the habitats they comprise so this is where groups like the Mid-Atlantic Regional Seed Bank (MARSB) come in. Their mission is to conserve and wisely manage the

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00:50:49

Ep. 551 - Sagebrush, Pitcher Plants, & Leaf Microbiomes

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2025/11/09

Microbes are everywhere and studying them isn't always easy, but microbial ecology is a vitally important field. Microbes influence the world around them in numerous ways and trying to understand how they do that with plants is where people like Dr. Leonora Bittleston come in. Join us as we explore the leaf microbiomes of sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and various species of pitcher plants (Sarracenia, Nepenthes, and Cephalotus) and learn just how fractal community ecology truly is! This episode

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01:01:32

Ep. 550 - For the Love of Flowers (feat. Sam Tallent)

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2025/11/02

People are drawn to plants for various reasons and that is why I wanted to talk with stand up comic and author Sam Tallent. From his early days hauling rocks out of his mom's garden to his desire to bring beauty into his neighborhood, Sam is diving head first into the world of plants. Join us as we explore his love for flowers and learn why their presence means to much to him in a world dominated by phone addiction and a lack of authenticity. Fair warning, there is plenty of strong language and

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01:02:17

Ep. 549 - Advocating for Fallen Leaves

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2025/10/26

Fallen leaves provide habitat to countless organisms and maintain crucial ecosystem processes. At the same time, convincing people to keep leaf litter on the landscape is a serious challenge. Leaving the leaves needs effective advocacy more than ever and that is where people like National Wildlife Federation Naturalist David Mizejewski come in. With October being Leave the Leaves Month, David and I take a deep dive into not only why it is an important practice but how we can all be better advocates

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01:02:21

Ep. 548 - Gall Wasps & Their Host Plants

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2025/10/19

Galls are among the most remarkable biological structures on our planet. The organisms that produce them are also extreme diverse and contribute a bewildering amount of biomass to their habitats. Some of the most fascinating gall makers are the gall wasps. This group of organisms is still woefully understudied but people like Dr. Louis Nastasi are trying to change that. Join us as we take a deep dive on gall wasps that specialize on herbaceous plants like the rosinweeds (Silphium spp.) and learn

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00:48:10

Ep. 547 - Ancient Tree Stories

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2025/10/12

Have you ever looked at an old tree and wondered what stories it could tell? If so, this is a conversation for you! Dr. Valerie Trouet returns to the podcast to talk about her wonderful collaborative book "In the Circle of Ancient Trees" in which she and 11 other authors talk about the ancient trees they study as dendrochronologists and how they have helped them understand everything from climate and solar flares to the cultures that celebrate them. This episode was produced in part by April, Dana,

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592 results

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