Join Dr. Sarah Allen and me as we journey back in time to the Eocene. Earth was a very different planet some 49 million years ago. Though we may recognize some Eocene flora, the combination of various plant lineages would be enough to make your head spin. Earth was experiencing a warming period and the plants had responded accordingly. Tropical species like palms were thriving in places like Wyoming and giant relatives of the redwoods covered much of North America and Asia. What Dr. Allen and her colleagues are learning about Eocene plant communities is not only interesting in its own right, i ..read more

The High Arctic is not a place you go looking for forests today. It is extremely harsh, cold, and nearly void of most forms of plant life. However, that has not always been the case. The Eocene Epoch was a period where Earth was much hotter than it is today and forests flourished at the poles. This is also when much of the flora we know and love today was just getting its start. Join me and Dr. Jim Basinger  as we explore what some incredibly rare fossil deposits are teaching us about forests above the Arctic Circle. This episode was produced in part by Robert, Thomas, Valerie, Joan, Mohs ..read more

Deserts are difficult places for any organism to survive, let alone plants. Despite the challenges, rich a unique floras have evolved in deserts all over the world which support myriad other forms of life. Restoring these communities in human-disturbed areas is critical in solving so many ecological and cultural issues and that is exactly what we are discussing in this episode. Join me and Perin McNelis, Native Plant Program Manager for Borderlands Restoration Network as we explore the ups and downs of plant restoration in arid ecosystems. This episode was produced in part by Robert, Thomas, V ..read more

Bark beetles may be small, but they can have major impacts on forests around the globe. It may be easy to think of these insects as always a bad thing, but what if they aren't? Simple stories rarely apply in ecology and nowhere is that more apparent than in the work of scientists like Dr. Seth Davis. Join is as we take dive into the complex relationships between bark beetles, trees, and forest ecology. This episode was produced in part by Robert, Thomas, Valerie, Joan, Mohsin Kazmi Photography, Cathy, Simon, Nick, Paul, Charis, EJ, Laura, Sung, NOK, Stephen, Heidi, Kristin, Luke, Sea, Sha ..read more

Plant defense compounds are great for the plants that produce them as they can ward off herbivore attacks. But what happens when a group of specialists evolves a way to utilize said compounds? Such is the case for milkweeds (Apocynaceae) and milkweed butterflies (Danaina). A long evolutionary history together kicked off an evolutionary arms race driven by chemical ecology that is turning into a case of chemical de-escalation for many plants within this family. Join me and Dr. Tanya Livshultz as we explore the links between phylogeny, herbivory, and milkweed diversity. This episode was produced ..read more

Join Chief Botanist for NatureServe Wes Knapp and me as we take a deep dive into an all-too-often overlooked group of plants - the rushes (genus Juncus). Rushes are fascinating and beautiful plants when you get to know them, and the genus has a lot of secrets waiting to be revealed. From their unique morphological characters to what it takes to describe a new species, who better to talk to than one of North America's rush experts. This episode was produced in part by Robert, Thomas, Valerie, Joan, Mohsin Kazmi Photography, Cathy, Simon, Nick, Paul, Charis, EJ, Laura, Sung, NOK, Stephen, Heidi ..read more

Conservation Biologist Sara Johnson returns to the podcast to talk about some of the botanical rabbit holes we have been exploring in recent weeks. We discuss ash (Fraxinus spp.) and rose (Rosa spp.) diversity and wax poetic about our time experiencing the majesty of the Great Southern Brood of periodical cicadas. This episode was produced in part by Valerie, Joan, Mohsin Kazmi Photography, Cathy, Simon, Nick, Paul, Charis, EJ, Laura, Sung, NOK, Stephen, Heidi, Kristin, Luke, Sea, Shannon, Thomas, Will, Jamie, Waverly, Brent, Tanner, Rick, Kazys, Dorothy, Katherine, Emily, Theo, Nichole, Paul ..read more

Islands are hotbeds for unique biodiversity. Strange and unique island plants form the foundation of strange and unique ecosystems. Sadly, the human hand has not been kind to Earth's island ecosystems, especially in recent times. The introduction of invasive species like rats, cats, and goats have brought many islands to the brink of collapse and that is why organizations like Island Conservation exist. Join me and Head of Innovation David Will as we discuss what he and his colleagues are doing to save some of the world's unique island biodiversity and learn what an important role plants play ..read more

There is no denying that roots are one of the most important organs on a plant. However, unless its an epiphyte, root activity takes place underground, largely out of site and out of mind. This has not stopped my guest today from trying to understand the origin and evolution of these amazing structures. We revisit a conversation with plant evolutionary biologist Dr. Sandy Hetherington whose work spans hundreds of millions of years of root history. Join us as we explore the early days of root evolution and learn how things like fungal symbionts and a lack of organic matter set the course for ro ..read more

Any organism that ephemeral gravel puddles home must be ready to deal with extremes. That is what makes snorkelwort (Gratiola amphiantha) and its aquatic neighbors so darn cool. It's what also makes it so very rare. Join me and Anna Wyngaarden as we take a deep dive into how she is trying to solve some of the many mysteries surrounding how plants like snorkelwort, mat-forming quillwort (Isoetes tegetiformans), and black-spored quillwort (I. melanospora) eke out a living in tiny granite pools. This episode was produced in part by Mohsin Kazmi Photography, Cathy, Simon, Nick, Paul, Charis, EJ, L ..read more