Plants make us more at home in the world, offering a lifetime of fascinating perspective to those who take the time to look a little closer and educate themselves. Here at Pistils, we love our trove of botany and gardening books, but podcasts are another easy, engaging way to find new information and fascinating ideas from experts and passionate hobbyists.
So tune in. Here are a few of our personal favorite plant podcasts that provide everything from practical houseplant tips, to scientific insights about the relationships between plants and humanity.
The Plant Podcast – Our 5 Favorites
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On the Ledge
All about indoor gardening, On the Ledge is a great resource for the dedicated collector. A lifelong plant nerd with a background in news journalist, host Jane Perrone’s cheerful curiosity is infectious as she explains her own findings and interviews experts to get the best information about houseplants and their care. If you’re hungry for special little tips and tricks for extra happy plants and are tired of sifting through the internet, this is a fun and reliable source. Check out episode 19: fungus gnats, which goes into detail about this common and irritating houseplant pest, and how to get rid of them.
Listen to this plant podcast, here.
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In Defense of Plants
“Plants are everything” says passionate host Matt Candeias, and he means it. In Defense of Plants is a celebration of all things botany and takes plants seriously as the foundation for life as we know it. Candeias distills and demystifies big ideas by delving deep into topics like science, ethnobotany, evolutionary history, ecology, and conservation in interviews with experts and enthusiasts from all over the world. The In Defense of Plants blog is also a great resource. Check out episode 164 – Carnivorous Plants: Their Physiology, Ecology, and Evolution.
Listen to this plant podcast, here.
Eatweeds describes itself as “an ethnobotanical journey through the plant kingdom”. Episodes cover the myriad ways wild plants have been used in human culture through the ages and continue to be used today. Host Robin Harford is a self-described “professional forager, ethnobotanical researcher, wild food educator and sensory botanist.” Robin explores the complex and beautiful relationship between people and plants in discussion with chefs, foragers, healers, and scientists. You won’t find any tips for lustrous houseplant growth here, but you will learn how to make nettle leaf protein. Check out episode 10: The Wild & Wonderful World of Fungi.
Listen to this plant podcast, here.
Bloom & Grow Radio is a podcast specifically for indoor plant people, geared towards enthusiasts of all ability and experience levels. With tips and stories that empower the listener to grow their houseplant selections, host Maria Failla (a self-described “succulent killer turned crazy plant lady”) interviews a wide range of folks in the urban gardening and houseplant communities. Check out episode 42 for a fun DIY project on how to make a moss pole — an essential for climbing Aroids.
Listen to this plant podcast, here.
Cultivating Place explores “the essential connections between nature, our gardens, and our places in both”. Host Jennifer Jewell is warm and eloquent, asking questions both down-to-earth and philosophical, of an eclectic group of gardeners, scientists, farmers, artists, and thinkers. Check out the recent interview with Portland-based botanical illustrator Kate Blairstone.
- Bonus — Radiolab – “Smarty Plants” Episode
- This episode of the popular WNYC podcast takes a fascinating look at plants and raises some big questions. How do roots sense running water? How does a plant respond to or even maybe “remember” a threat? The answers might surprise you, maybe even enough to get goosebumps like we did! This episode is a must for any plant nerd and is an exciting reminder that when it comes to the world of plants, there is much that remains unknown.
What’s your favorite plant podcast? Let us know what else we should we be listening to in the comments!