In Defense of Plants Podcast
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.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 52 minutes
- Episodes
- 301
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
Ep. 541 - Coexistence & Maintaining Species Boundaries
How are species boundaries maintained when groups of related plant species live near each other? Considering all the things that need to go right for a plant to survive and reproduce, this is not an …
00:48:53 |
Sun 31 Aug 2025
Ep. 540 - Orchids for Peace
Orchids for Peace believes orchids are symbols for both peace and biodiversity. By empowering communities to conserve these plants, this wonderful organization encourages environmental stewardship an…
00:40:01 |
Sun 24 Aug 2025
Ep. 539 - Exploring the Seed Microbiome
Microbes are everywhere, even in seeds! Indeed, seeds from various plants can host a community of different microbes. Despite how cool this sounds, we still have a lot to learn about seed microbiomes…
00:58:48 |
Sun 17 Aug 2025
Ep. 538 - Coastal Wetlands, Rising Seas, & Ghost Forests
Coastal wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems on our planet. They are a boon for plants, animals, and people alike. However, sea level rise is changing these ecosystems and the communitie…
00:42:48 |
Sun 10 Aug 2025
Ep. 537 - From Seeds to Climate
Large seed dispersers are disproportionately affected by human disturbances like habitat loss and poaching. At the same time, a disproportionate number of tropical tree species rely on animals for se…
00:51:23 |
Sun 03 Aug 2025
Ep. 536 - Tropical Forests & Loss of Seed Dispersers
Seed dispersal is a vital ecological process no matter what scale you look at. From the genetic diversity of plant populations to the impact of forests on climate, how plants move around the landscap…
00:49:28 |
Sun 27 Jul 2025
Ep. 535 - Quillworts Revisited
Their ancestors once dominated the coal swamps of the Carboniferous Period, growing into massive trees that could reach upwards of 160 feet (50 m) into the canopy. Today, the quillworts (Isoetes spp.…
00:59:30 |
Sun 20 Jul 2025
Ep. 534 - Self-Incompatibility in Phlox
Self-Incompatibility is a means by which some plants prevent self-fertilization and promotes outcrossing. It has evolved independently in many different groups and plays a very important role in the …
00:55:16 |
Sun 13 Jul 2025
Ep. 533 - Native Plants & Biodiversity on the High Line
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 su…
00:50:12 |
Sun 06 Jul 2025
Ep. 532 - Fireflies & Plants Revisited
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. Revi…
00:54:27 |
Sun 29 Jun 2025
Ep. 531 - Native Plants Feed Ecosystems
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…
01:05:39 |
Sun 22 Jun 2025
Ep. 530 - Our Relationship with the Joshua Tree
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…
00:44:44 |
Sun 15 Jun 2025
Ep. 529 - Native Plants, Habitat, & Infectious Diseases
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 balanc…
00:56:37 |
Sun 08 Jun 2025
Ep. 528 - Flower Color is Complex
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 f…
01:02:18 |
Sun 01 Jun 2025
Ep. 527 - A Deep Dive on Medinilla
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 unde…
00:57:04 |
Sun 25 May 2025
Ep. 526 - Biodiversity & Ecosystem Function
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. Nowhe…
01:00:45 |
Sun 18 May 2025
Ep. 525 - Lessons from Ancient Grasslands
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 woodla…
01:04:11 |
Sun 11 May 2025
Ep. 524 - Tackling the Oval Sedges
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, whi…
00:59:04 |
Sun 04 May 2025
Ep. 523 - Prickly Pear Cacti Are Wonderfully Complex
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…
01:01:14 |
Sun 27 Apr 2025
Ep. 522 - Shocking Relationships Between Trees & Lightning
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 …
00:57:22 |
Sun 20 Apr 2025
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