Advertise on podcast: Herbarium of the Bizarre

Anyone feel like starting a campaign to make tomatoes the national fruit? Music by James Milor on Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.arborday.org/perspectives/americas-national-tree-mighty-oakhttps://www.congress.gov/bill/99th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/159/texthttps://www.congress.gov/committee-report/108th-congress/house-report/689/1https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF13097Dirksen and the Marigold https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwogofdiGys&t=158shttps://www.nybg.org/planttalk/elizabeth-brittons-roses-campaigning-for-the-national-flower/https://www.history.com/articles/oak-tree-national-tree-of-united-states-of-americahttps://extension.psu.edu/the-national-tree-and-national-floral-emblem-of-the-united-stateshttps://www.birdsandblooms.com/gardening/gardening-basics/national-flower-bird-tree-united-states/https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-or-officially-designated-item/state-flower/rosehttps://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-or-officially-designated-item/state-tree/mighty-oak-treehttps://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title36-section303&num=0&edition=prelim

Attendees at the Exotic and Carnivorous Plant Expo join the podcast to talk about their own favorite bizarre plants. I intended to post this episode a week or so after the expo, but then I caught the con crud from hell at ConCarolinas and have only just now gotten my voice back. Music provided by James Milor from Pixabay Additional Information: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Woodcock/overview https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-woodcock https://www.sandiegocarnivorousplantsociety.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmecophyte

Come see me at the Exotic and Carnivorous Plant Expo this weekend: https://www.carnivorousplants.org/about/CEPExpoDetails Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.burymeinthebog.com/grow/rainbow-plantshttps://botany.org/home/resources/carnivorous-plants-insectivorous-plants/byblis-the-rainbow-plants.htmlhttps://www.carnivorousplants.org/grow/guides/ByblisThe carnivorous rainbow plant Byblis filifolia Planch. secretes digestive enzymes in response to prey capture independently of jasmonates by A Pavlovič, et al. (2025). Plant Biology, 27(4), 549–557. https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.70029Chemonastic Stalked Glands in the Carnivorous Rainbow Plant Byblis gigantea LINDL. (Byblidaceae, Lamiales) by Simon Poppinga, et al. (2022). International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(19), 1151. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911514https://www.sarracenia.com/pubs/byblis.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byblis_(plant)

I learned some lessons from the 2024 discoveries episode, and I think this one is not quite so messy. I also managed to contain it all in one episode this time! Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.calacademy.org/press/releases/california-academy-of-sciences-and-partners-uncover-new-sunflower-species-in-big-bendDamian Carrington (2026, Jan 7). Fly-arousing orchid and zombie fungus among 2025 botanical and fungal finds. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/08/fly-arousing-orchid-zombie-fungus-among-new-plant-fungus-species-finds-2025Aaron P. Davis, et al. (2005). Galanthus subalpinus (Amaryllidaceae): A new species of snowdrop from the Western Balkans. Kew Bulletin, 80, 169-175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-024-10239-8James Doubek (2025, Feb 26). Meet the 'wooly devil,' a new plant species discovered in Big Bend National Park. National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/2025/02/26/nx-s1-5308248/wooly-devil-new-species-genus-big-bendGabriel A. Iturralde, et al. (2025) Telipogon cruentilabrum (Orchidaceae: Oncidiinae): A new species from mid-western Ecuador, long misidentified as T. dendriticus. Phytotaxa, 694(3), 271–280. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.694.3.6 [Abstract]https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/top-10-species-2025Yee Wen Low, et al. (2025). Eugenia venteri (sect. Jossinia, Myrtaceae): A new flagelliflorous tree from the rainforest of Manus Island, Papua New Guinea. Kew Bulletin, 80, 733-743. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-025-10264-1https://www.nps.gov/bibe/learn/news/new-plant-species-discovered-in-big-bend.htmhttps://www.nps.gov/im/chdn/ecoregion.htmRosa Villanueva-Espinoza and John R. I. Wood (2025). Two new species of Aphelandra (Acanthaceae) from Peru. Kew Bulletin, 80, 983-991. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12225-025-10334-4

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