Plant Connection: A Plant Podcast to Reconnect You With Nature, One Plant At A Time

What do a Civil War-era schoolteacher, ancient Druids, and Gothic cathedrals all have in common? The mighty oak tree.

In this episode, we explore the story of Mary Smith Peake, a free Black businesswoman in Hampton, Virginia, who in September 1861 began teaching formerly enslaved people to read and write beneath the branches of a southern live oak at a time when doing so had been illegal in Virginia for nearly 30 years. That same tree would later host the first local reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, earning it the name it carries to this day: the Emancipation Oak. The site eventually became the foundation of what is now Hampton University.

From there, we travel through centuries of oak mythology and symbolism — sacred groves, Greek oracles, Norse thunder gods, Druidic wisdom, and the surprising connection between oak forests and the soaring arches of Gothic cathedrals.

In this episode:

• Mary Peake's life and the contraband order that made her school possible
• Why oak trees have been gathering places and sacred sites across cultures worldwide
• The Cherokee relationship with red oak and its medicinal uses
• How to choose an oak for your own garden

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

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Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

Eleven hundred years ago, Anglo-Saxon doctors in what is now England had a reference book to help them treat ailments, and blackberry played a key role in healing a potentially deadly illness that was all too common. And the recipe is something that modern healers might even use!

In this episode, we dig into how blackberry has been used for medicine over the years, how we can grow it in our own gardens, and how we can enjoy it with our famiiles.

Covered in this episode:

1. A remedy for dysentery from the Leechbook of Bald.
2. Why Hippocrates soaked blackberry leaves in white wine.
3. The ecology of blackberries.
4. How to grow blackberries in your garden.
5. How to tell blackberries from raspberries.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

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Root Stem Leaf - https://www.rootstemleaf.com/

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Plant Connection - https://plant-connection.captivate.fm/

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZDb9ovKXRTomKYnyqF8Rv

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

Episode Description

What do the Hunger Winter, a 17th century financial bubble, and a children’s cartoon have in common? Tulips.

In this episode, we dig into the surprising history of one of spring’s most beloved flowers, from its role in a financial crisis to its part in helping a people survive a very difficult winter.

Covered in this episode:

1. The life-saving role of the tulip in the Hunger Winter of 1944-45.
2. The Tulip Mania of the 1630s and how a virus led to great beauty.
3. Tulip’s importance in its native homeland and how it got to Europe.
4. How to grow tulips in your garden.
5. Which modern varieties can give you a similar effect to the varieties that were so popular during Tulip Mania.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

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Follow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rootstemleafblog/

Root Stem Leaf - https://www.rootstemleaf.com/

LISTEN

Plant Connection - https://plant-connection.captivate.fm/

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZDb9ovKXRTomKYnyqF8Rv

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

Three hundred years ago, an entire English village rose up to save an ash tree. Listen to see how the authorities worked to find a solution.

Ash trees are a common sight across much of the temperate world, so it’s no surprise that many cultures have developed deep lore and cultural affection for them.

In this episode, we explore how ash trees have shaped mythology, craft, and aviation.

Covered in this episode:

1. The story of Richard Patchett, a carpenter and church warden who exchanged nearly a year’s wages to compensate the church congregation for the loss of a beloved ash tree.
2. How ash figures in Norse, Celtic, and Native American mythology.
3. The surprising reason the Wright Brothers used ash wood in the first airplane.
4. The ongoing loss of ash to the emerald ash borer.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

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Follow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rootstemleafblog/

Root Stem Leaf - https://www.rootstemleaf.com/

LISTEN

Plant Connection - https://plant-connection.captivate.fm/

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZDb9ovKXRTomKYnyqF8Rv

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

Episode Description

Redbud offers both beauty and healing, and it does it all with style.

In this episode, we explore how controversy rocked one state as it debated whether to make red bud the official state tree.

Covered in this episode:

1. The story of Governor E. Marland’s quandary over whether to sign the bill.
2. The healing properties of redbud.
3. How to grow redbud in your garden.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

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Follow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rootstemleafblog/

Root Stem Leaf - https://www.rootstemleaf.com/

LISTEN

Plant Connection - https://plant-connection.captivate.fm/

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZDb9ovKXRTomKYnyqF8Rv

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

Rhubarb has been a shockingly important plant throughout history.

In this episode, we explore how rhubarbs’ medicinal qualities made it one of the most valuable plants in Europe for hundreds of years, leading to one doctor risking his life to bring some back to his home in Scotland.

Covered in this episode:

1. The story of Dr. James Mounsey smuggling rhubarb from Russia to Scotland.
2. The mythical roots of rhubarb.
3. How to grow rhubarb in your garden.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

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Follow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rootstemleafblog/

Root Stem Leaf - https://www.rootstemleaf.com/

LISTEN

Plant Connection - https://plant-connection.captivate.fm/

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZDb9ovKXRTomKYnyqF8Rv

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

Episode Description

The flowering cherry tree is an icon of spring beauty.

In this episode, we explore how one woman worked for decades to bring that beauty to a little corner of her city, to the delight of generations of visitors.

From the mountains and gardens of Japan to the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC, join me as we explore the unlikely journey to a cherry tree garden along the Potomac.

Covered in this episode:

1. The tireless persistence of Eliza Scidmore.
2. Where flowering cherries come from.
3. What flowering cherries can symbolize.
4. How to grow flowering cherries in your garden.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

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Follow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rootstemleafblog/

Root Stem Leaf - https://www.rootstemleaf.com/

LISTEN

Plant Connection - https://plant-connection.captivate.fm/

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZDb9ovKXRTomKYnyqF8Rv

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

The rhododendron is a beautiful and celebrated flower, but people and animals also need to be careful around them.

In this episode, we explore the fascinating story of rhododendrons. There are over 1,000 species of rhododendrons worldwide, and festivals are held to celebrate them.

Rhododendrons are also the source of “mad honey”, which was said to have been left deliberately in the mountains to weaken Roman soldiers.

From ancient legends to modern-day celebrations, from hidden dangers to tips for growing them in your own garden, this is a story of beauty, caution, and cultural legacy that come together through one remarkable plant.

Covered in this episode:

1. Exploring the rhododendron’s history.
2. Are rhododendrons poisonous?
3. How rhododendrons were used as a trap set for Roman soldiers.
4. Rhododendron festivals and the blooms of Roan Mountain.
5. The difference between rhododendrons and azaleas.
6. How to grow rhododendrons in your garden.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favourite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

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Follow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rootstemleafblog/

Root Stem Leaf - https://www.rootstemleaf.com/

LISTEN

Plant Connection - https://plant-connection.captivate.fm

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZDb9ovKXRTomKYnyqF8Rv

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection/id1801774758

CREDITS

Research - Shannon Vance

Produced by Claricast.

Every day, around five billion cups of tea are drunk around the world. But few people know about the flower that their tea comes from.

In this episode, we explore Camellia sinensis - the flowering plant behind so many varieties of tea, from green to black to oolong. We take a look back more than 4000 years ago to uncover the story of Emperor Shennong, the Chinese ruler said to have discovered tea by accident, and follow how the plant spread across the world.

The Camellia flower has become a symbol for numerous movements, and tea is a staple drink across continents for its flavor and health benefits.

If you’d like to know a little more about the flower behind the world’s most consumed drink (behind water), grab yourself a cup of tea, and take a listen to this episode.

Covered in this episode:

1. The history of tea.
2. How tea spread across the world.
3. The health benefits of drinking tea.
4. How the camellia flower made its way to America.
5. The symbolism that the camellia flower has become known for.
6. How to grow camellia at home.
7. And more…

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favourite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

LEARN MORE

Follow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rootstemleafblog/

Root Stem Leaf - https://www.rootstemleaf.com/

LISTEN

Plant Connection - https://plant-connection.captivate.fm

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZDb9ovKXRTomKYnyqF8Rv

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection/id1801774758

CREDITS

Script - Jacob Ashton (https://jacobashton.net/)

Research - Adriana Gogolin

Produced by Claricast.

Witch hazel is an individualist. It blooms in winter when almost nothing else will. And that’s not the only surprise it’s hiding up its sleeve.

In this episode, we explore the fascinating story of witch hazel - a distinctive woodland shrub with flame-colored flowers that appear in late autumn and winter, earning it the nickname “winter bloom.”

But beyond its striking characteristics, witch hazel also has an interesting history. One that led to its use around the world for its healing properties.

We travel back to the mid-1840s, when Theron T. Pond found his attention captured by witch hazel. That curiosity would eventually help shape the products of the T.T. Pond Company, known today as Pond’s.

You’ll also discover where the plant got its name (it’s not from the supernatural!) and a whole lot more.

Covered in this episode:

• The origin story of witch hazel and Pond’s.
• How witch hazel survives its winter bloom.
• The industrial rise of witch hazel as a healing tonic.
• Surprising historical uses, from dowsing rods to traditional remedies.
• Where the name “witch hazel” comes from.
• The plant’s unique, explosive seed dispersal.
• How to grow witch hazel at home.
• And more…

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favourite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

LEARN MORE

Follow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rootstemleafblog/

Root Stem Leaf - https://www.rootstemleaf.com/ 

LISTEN

Plant Connection - https://plant-connection.captivate.fm 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZDb9ovKXRTomKYnyqF8Rv 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection/id1801774758 

CREDITS

Script - Jacob Ashton (https://jacobashton.net/)

Research - Adriana Gogolin

Produced by Claricast.