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Merry Christmas? Happy New Year? Happy Holidays! That covers it. Personally, I celebrated four this year. Enjoy this more-or-less seasonal episode about the New Zealand Christmas Tree. Music by James Milor from Pixabay. Information provided by: https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/pohutukawa-flame-of-the-north/https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-plants/pohutukawa/https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/pohutukawa-treeshttps://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/metrosideros-excelsa/https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/the-forgotten-pandemic/https://www.tanestrees.org.nz/species-profiles/pohutukawa/https://help.treesthatcount.co.nz/en/articles/8584808-pohutukawahttps://meaningoftrees.com/2019/02/05/pohutukawa-metrosideros-excelsa/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C5%8Dhutukawa

Pass the cranberry sauce! Did you read that to the tune of the Bob’s Burgers song? I hope so. Music by James Milor Information provided by: https://www.cranberryinstitute.org/cranberry-health-researchhttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/the-botany-behind-why-cranberries-became-a-thanksgiving-staplePeterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed.) by Steven Foster and James A. Duke (2014)https://www.cranberries.org/Herbs at a Glance: A Quick Guide to Herbal Supplements by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2009)Cranberry: Chemical composition, antioxidant activity and impact on human health by Boris V. Nemzer, et al. (2022). Molecules, 27(5), pg. 1503. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27051503Peterson Field Guides: Edible Wild Plants of Eastern and Central North America by Lee Allen Peterson (1977)The Kitchen Witch Companion by Sarah Robinson and Lucy H. Pearce (2023)Domestication, genetics, and genomics of the American cranberry by Nicholi Vorsa and Juan Zalapa in Plant Breeding Reviews, Volume 43 by Irwin Goldman (Ed.) (2019). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119616801.ch8

Sorry it sounds so echo-y. I’m dog/housesitting for my parents, so I’m not in my usual recording space. Ruby the Beagle says “hi.” Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Diphylleia grayi-inspired stretchable hydrochromics with large optical modulation in the visible–near-infrared region by Guofa Cai, et al. (2018). ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 10(43), pg. 37685-37693. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.8b12490 [Abstract]https://www.thespruce.com/skeleton-flower-plant-profile-4802581Cytological effects of chemicals on tumors, XXV: Further studies on the effect of Diphylleia grayi extracts on tumor cells by Kohtaro Yamamoto and Yanagi Kimura (1964). Journal of the Faculty of Hokkaido University, Series 6 - Zoology, 15(3), pg. 347-352.https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/skeleton-flowers-how-does-this-white-flower-turn-transparent-in-the-rain.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diphylleia_grayihttps://www.bhg.com/how-to-plant-and-grow-skeleton-flower-8553286Diphylleia grayi-inspired intelligent hydrochromic adhesive film by Gang Yeol Yoo, et al. (2020). ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 12(44), pg. 49982-49991. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c13185 [Abstract]Diphylleia Grayi-inspired intelligent temperature-responsive transparent nanofiber membranes by Cengceng Zhao, et al. (2024). Nano-Micro Letters, 16(65). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-023-01279-z

There seems to be disagreement whether it ought to be spelled narrow-leafed or narrow-leaved. Neither is easy to say, for the record. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17100574https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/120221-oldest-seeds-regenerated-plants-sciencehttps://www.livescience.com/2602-extinct-tree-christ-time-rises-dead.htmlhttps://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/02/22/3436826.htmGermination, genetics, and growth of an ancient date seed by Sarah Sallon, et al. (2008). Science, 320(5882), pg. 1464. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1153600 [Abstract]https://www.selinawamucii.com/plants/caryophyllaceae/silene-stenophylla/Exceptional seed longevity and robust growth: Ancient Sacred Lotus from China by J. Shen-Miller, et al. (1995). American Journal of Botany, 82(11), pg. 1367-1380. https://doi.org/10.2307/2445863https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_viable_seedhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silene_stenophyllaRegeneration of whole fertile plants from 30,000-y-old fruit tissue buried in Siberian permafrost by Svetlana Yashina, et al. (2012). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(10), pg. 4008-4013. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1118386109

This episode ended up being way more involved that I expected, but I learned so much, and I thought I knew Dutch Elm Disease pretty well already. Hopefully, y’all will learn a lot, too. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.dontmovefirewood.org/pest_pathogen/dutch-elm-disease-html/https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/pdlessons/Pages/DutchElm.aspxhttps://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/fthr/pest-and-disease-resources/dutch-elm-disease-ophiostoma-novo-ulmi/A Dictionary of Plant Pathology by Paul Holliday (1989)https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/native-elm-bark-beetlehttps://themanitoban.com/2009/11/dutch-elm-vaccine-tested-in-winnipeg/530/https://www.unisci.com/stories/20013/0828015.htmhttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_elm_disease

We will resume my trilogy of invasive plants next week once I find my mind. Has anyone seen it? Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/running-ponies/animal-or-vegetable-legend-of-the-vegetable-lamb-of-tartary/The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary: A curious fable of the cotton plant by Henry Lee (1887)https://www.nybg.org/poetic-botany/barometz/https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/curious-tale-of-vegetable-lambThe Vegetable Lamb of Tartary by Alice F. Tryon (1957). American Fern Journal, 47(1), pg. 1-7.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_Lamb_of_Tartary

Don't worry, I'm okay. My car is very much not okay, unfortunately.

If you’re thinking of planting a Privet, you should pivot and plant something else. Well, if you live in North or Central America, anyway, but that doesn’t rhyme. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.lewisginter.org/chinese-privet/https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/chinese-privethttps://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ligustrum-japonicum/https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ligustrum-sinense/https://triangleland.org/company-news/species-spotlight-chinese-privethttps://www.se-eppc.org/manual/privet.htmlhttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligustrum_sinense

I have a complicated relationship with this stinky dead fish tree. For your entertainment, a Reddit thread about Bradford Pears: https://www.reddit.com/r/arborists/comments/1bn1wpv/why_bradford_pear_is_so_hated/ Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://indiananativeplants.org/2013/callery-pear-a-bad-bad-plant-in-bloom-right-now/https://www.bhg.com/gardening/trees-shrubs-vines/trees/bradford-pear-tree/https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/callery-pear-bradford-pearhttps://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/callery-pearhttps://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pyrus-calleryana/https://extension.umd.edu/resource/bradford-pear/https://www.invasivespeciesva.org/species/callery-pearhttps://dyckarboretum.org/callery-pear-cut-them-down/

Meet the world’s biggest (and possibly stinkiest) flowers. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/03/world/worlds-largest-flower-indonesia-scn-trnd/index.htmlhttps://www.britannica.com/plant/RafflesiaPlants That Kill: A Natural History of the World’s Most Poisonous Plants by Elizabeth A. Dauncey and Sonny Larson (2018)https://www.kew.org/plants/rafflesia-arnoldihttps://parasiticplants.siu.edu/Rafflesiaceae/Raff.arn.page.htmlhttps://richardniesenbaum.com/plants-people-2/rafflesia/https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2017/02/colossal-blossomhttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafflesia

If you’re in the U.S., I hope you try and have a happy 4th of July. And as a public safety professional in my day job, I must remind you to please not start any fires or injure anyone with fireworks. ‘Kay thanks. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.popsci.com/environment/fairy-lantern-japan-extinct-fungi/https://www.discoverwildlife.com/plant-facts/thismia-malayana-factshttps://www.livescience.com/61925-fairy-lantern-plant-rainforest.htmlhttps://phys.org/news/2024-02-species-story.htmlRediscovery of Thismia neptunis (Thismiaceae) after 151 years by Michal Sochor, et al. (2018). Phytotaxa, 340(1), 71-78. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.340.1.5Fairy lanterns in focus by Chris J. Thorogood and Siti-Munirah Mat Yunoh (2021). Plants People Planet, 3(6), 680-684. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10217Fairy lanterns may lure pollinators by mimicking fungi by Kenji Suetsugu and Masahiro Sueyoshi (2021). Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 19(4), 233. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2342https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thismiahttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thismia_rodwayi

Be a lavender menace. Music provided by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)https://bouqs.com/blog/capricorn-birth-flower/https://www.britannica.com/plant/lavenderhttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Lavender-ScareCunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014)Herb Magic for Beginners: Down-to-earth Enchantments by Ellen Dugan (2016)https://www.hrc.org/resources/lavender-graduationThe Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World’s Greatest Drinks by Amy Stewart (2013)https://www.osgf.org/blog/2020/6/29/vi0rxptrmtd4v8n2epbm3otxj56z5oLavender and the nervous system by Peir Hossein Koulivand, Maryam Khaleghi Ghadiri, and Ali Gorji (2013). Evidence-Based Complementary Alternative Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/681304Herbs at a Glance: A Quick Guide to Herbal Supplements by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2009)https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/lavenderhttps://daily.jstor.org/four-flowering-plants-decidedly-queered/A Floral Grimoire: Plant charms, spells, recipes, and rituals by Patricia Telesco (2024)Nature’s Remedies: An Illustrated Guide to Healing Herbs by Jean Willoughby (2016)https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavandulahttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender_Scare

Support the Pansy Project and get a cute shirt: https://birdscanflystore.com/collection/the-pansy-project/ Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)https://bouqs.com/blog/capricorn-birth-flower/Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014)Garden Witch’s Herbal by Ellen Dugan (2011)https://www.osgf.org/blog/2020/6/29/vi0rxptrmtd4v8n2epbm3otxj56z5oPeterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed.) by Steven Foster and James A. Duke (2014)https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/plants-LGBTQ-symbolshttps://daily.jstor.org/four-flowering-plants-decidedly-queered/A Floral Grimoire: Plant charms, spells, recipes, and rituals by Patricia Telesco (2024)https://thepansyproject.com/about/https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/pansies/

Roses are (sometimes) red, Violets are (sometimes) blue, And if you ask Sappho, Violets are gay, too! Happy Pride Month 🌈 Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)https://bouqs.com/blog/violet-flower-meaning-symbolism/Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014)Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed.) by Steven Foster and James A. Duke (2014)https://www.osgf.org/blog/2020/6/29/vi0rxptrmtd4v8n2epbm3otxj56z5oWild Flowers of North Carolina and Surrounding Areas by William S. Justice and C. Ritchie Bell (1979)https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/about/blog/2021/12/21/queer-botany-the-sapphic-violet/Peterson Field Guides: Edible Wild Plants of Eastern and Central North America by Lee Allen Peterson (1977)PinkNews. (27 November 2024). Violet necklaces have become a sought-after lesbian accessory, but what is the history behind the trend? [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/DC49dz8thuV/?igsh=X2xVeEQ2Y0Jlhttps://daily.jstor.org/four-flowering-plants-decidedly-queered/National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Eastern Region (2nd ed.) by John W. Thieret, William A. Niering, & Nancy C. Olmstead (2001)Collins Gem: Wild Flowers by Martin Walter (2002)https://wildfoods4wildlife.com/monographs/violets/https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/sweet-violet/

These extra-special trees are similar to both conifers and fruit trees, but they are actually something much, much older. Ginkgoes are the only tree species around today that was alive at the same time as dinosaurs! 🦕 How cool is that? Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ginkgo-biloba-benefitsMedicinal Plants at Home by Maria Transito Lopez Luengo and Carlota Manez Ariso (2015)https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-ginkgo/art-20362032Herbs at a Glance: A Quick Guide to Herbal Supplements by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2009)https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/guest-blog/botanical-sexism-cultivates-home-grown-allergies/https://www.obga.ox.ac.uk/article/seeds-from-hiroshima-atomic-bomb-survivor-trees-planted-at-oxford-botanic-gardenhttps://tylerarboretum.org/ginkgo-biloba-an-ancient-species-in-a-modern-world/https://arboretum.ua.edu/whats-growing-on/ginkgo-ginkgo-biloba/https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo_bilobaNature’s Remedies: An Illustrated Guide to Healing Herbs by Jean Willoughby (2016)