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. 461 - Litter Trappers Revisited
Litter trapping plants don't worry about soil, they make their own! Because so many species in the tropics grow either epiphytically or in nutrient poor soil, some of them have turned to alternative …
00:42:24 |
Sun 18 Feb 2024
Ep. 460 - Floral Chemistry Revisited
For Dr. Rob Raguso, the phrase "stop and smell the roses" takes on a whole new meaning. Dr. Raguso studies the intricate world of floral chemistry. You are undoubtedly familiar with some of the wonde…
01:07:29 |
Sun 11 Feb 2024
Ep. 459 - Pigments & Plant Stress
Plant pigments certainly catch the eyes of many organisms, but they serve many important functions beyond simple attraction. For instance, plant pigments can play a huge role in managing stressors li…
00:40:56 |
Sun 04 Feb 2024
Ep. 458 - Plant Stress
Plant stress starts at the molecular level but can influence entire ecosystems. That is why questions about drought, heat, and climate change fuel Dr. Lou Santiago's research. Join us as we explore t…
00:52:32 |
Sun 28 Jan 2024
Ep. 457 - The Wild World of Wet Plants
Plants obviously need water to survive, but how do they interact with water in a more physical sense? How plants like trees capture and distribute precipitation can have massive consequences for ecos…
01:00:56 |
Sun 21 Jan 2024
Ep. 456 - Cattail Invasion Revisited
What wetland scene would be complete without a few cattails? The genus Typha is synonymous with wetlands yet as you will hear in this episode, we know so little about them. Joining us is Dr. Pam Gedd…
00:56:40 |
Sun 14 Jan 2024
Ep. 455 - The Many Mysteries of Seed Dormancy
We take seeds for granted, yet still have much to learn about how they work. What factors play in to seed dormancy? How long can some seeds remain dormant? What cues are required to break dormancy? A…
01:08:34 |
Sun 07 Jan 2024
Ep. 454 - An Orchid that Smells Like Aphids Revisited
My guest today is Melissa Díaz-Morales from the Jardín Botánico Lankester in Costa Rica and her work focuses on orchid pollination. Orchids are known for their deceitful pollination syndromes and Mel…
00:16:53 |
Sun 31 Dec 2023
Ep. 453 - Small Flies & Orchid Diversity Revisited
We revisit a conversation with PhD student Melissa Díaz-Morales and Director of the Lankester Botanical Gardens, Dr. Adam Karremans to look at how flies have managed to influence the evolution of the…
00:49:32 |
Sun 24 Dec 2023
Ep. 452 - The Many Mysteries of Orchid Pollination
Knowing what we don't know can be as important as knowing what we do. Even highly charismatic plants like orchids harbor many mysteries in need of investigation. Join me and Dr. Adam Karrenmans as we…
00:52:35 |
Sun 17 Dec 2023
Ep. 451 - Darwin & the Art of Botany
Many of us are familiar with Darwin's finches and the impact animals made on his work, but what about his obsession with plants? Indeed, plants were an instrumental part of Darwin's life, helping him…
01:00:13 |
Sun 10 Dec 2023
Ep. 450 - Canopy Life in the World's Tallest Trees
Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) can grow so big and gnarly that their canopies support entire ecosystems. From lichens and liverworts, to ericaceous shrubs, these ecological communities are very impo…
Sun 03 Dec 2023
Ep. 449 - Aquascaping Revisited
The world of aquatic plants is incredibly diverse, yet our ties to land make it difficult to fully appreciate these organisms. Their glory and splendor is best observed in their underwater realm. Thi…
00:47:51 |
Sun 26 Nov 2023
Ep. 448 - Why Fish Need Plants
It may not seem obvious at first, but fish need plants too! From aquatic to terrestrial, plants provide fish places to breed, places to eat, and places to hide. Plants filter water and prevent erosio…
01:00:45 |
Sun 19 Nov 2023
Ep. 447 - Black Belt Biodiversity
The black belt prairie is a crescent-shaped grassland ecosystem curving through Mississippi and Alabama that supports high biodiversity. Sadly, like grasslands across the globe, the black belt prairi…
00:50:14 |
Sun 12 Nov 2023
Ep. 446 - Bats: Friends of Plants
Bats and plants rely on each other more than we know. From pollination and seed dispersal, to pest control and unexpected relationships, Dr. Merlin Tuttle wants you to know just how important bats ar…
00:44:31 |
Sun 05 Nov 2023
Ep. 445 - Mountain Longleaf
Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is a remarkable species that defines much of the Southeastern Coastal Plain of North America. However, this species isn't restricted to coastal habitats. In a small po…
00:42:07 |
Sun 29 Oct 2023
Ep. 444 - Steppe Plants Revisited
For Mike Bone, propagating and growing plants is not just a hobby or a job, it's a way of life. Mike is the curator of the steppe collections at the Denver Botanic Gardens and his love affair with th…
00:51:56 |
Sun 22 Oct 2023
Ep. 443 - Flowers & Fire
Grasslands and fire are essentially inseparable. For the most part, grassland can't exist without periodic burns. But, are the beneficial effects of fire the same for all plants? How do the effects o…
00:50:47 |
Sun 15 Oct 2023
Ep. 442 - Of Wolves & Forests
Predators like wolves are an integral part of ecosystem health. Moreover, their interactions with their herbivore prey can have major consequences on plant communities. Join me and Dr. Sarah Hoy as w…
00:46:36 |
Sun 08 Oct 2023
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