Bay Curious

Ice Plant is Pretty but Pernicious


Listen Later

If you've been anywhere along the California coast, you've seen it—ice plant. It's a low, spreading succulent with finger-like leaves and bright pink or yellow flowers. Given its prevalence on our shorelines, you might assume ice plant is meant to be there. But it's actually an invasive species that threatens native plants and wildlife. This week on the show, producer Pauline Bartolone digs into the effects of this pretty pest, and some other herbaceous interlopers.

Additional Reading:

  • Pretty but Not 'Nice': California's Invasive Ice Plant
  • Read a transcript of this episode
  • Learn more about invasive plants in your area
  • Sign up for our newsletter
  • Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest

  • Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

    This story was reported by Pauline Bartolone. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Bay CuriousBy KQED

    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8

    4.8

    1,042 ratings


    More shows like Bay Curious

    View all
    This American Life by This American Life

    This American Life

    90,931 Listeners

    Radiolab by WNYC Studios

    Radiolab

    43,870 Listeners

    Fresh Air by NPR

    Fresh Air

    38,507 Listeners

    Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

    Hidden Brain

    43,602 Listeners

    Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

    Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

    38,860 Listeners

    99% Invisible by Roman Mars

    99% Invisible

    26,238 Listeners

    KQED's Forum by KQED

    KQED's Forum

    719 Listeners

    KQED's The California Report by KQED

    KQED's The California Report

    397 Listeners

    Close All Tabs by KQED

    Close All Tabs

    98 Listeners

    MindShift Podcast by KQED

    MindShift Podcast

    247 Listeners

    Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

    Science Friday

    6,400 Listeners

    The Latest from KQED by KQED

    The Latest from KQED

    79 Listeners

    The Daily by The New York Times

    The Daily

    112,032 Listeners

    Up First from NPR by NPR

    Up First from NPR

    56,517 Listeners

    Political Breakdown by KQED

    Political Breakdown

    190 Listeners

    The Bay by KQED

    The Bay

    435 Listeners

    The California Report Magazine by KQED

    The California Report Magazine

    132 Listeners

    Throughline by NPR

    Throughline

    16,335 Listeners

    KQED Newscast by KQED News

    KQED Newscast

    30 Listeners

    Short Wave by NPR

    Short Wave

    6,551 Listeners