The Plant Report- Every Plant Has A Story

By Jill Cloutier

What's The Plant Report- Every Plant Has A Story about?

Learn about the botanical world one plant at a time. The Plant Report is a new educational podcast from Sustainable World Radio about plants, herbal medicine, heirloom seeds, ethnobotany and the human/plant relationship. Learn from experts and the plants. Thanks for listening to The Plant Report....Because Every Plant Has A Story.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Plant Report- Every Plant Has A Story episodes:

05.16.2023
The Fabulous Fig
Episode 38: Our plant today is Fig and our guest is Dr. Lee Reich. Lee is a writer, horticultural consultant, and educator with graduate degrees in soil science and horticulture. Lee is a big fan of Figs (Ficus carica) and...
12.04.2021
The Wild World of Hops
Welcome to the world of Hops, Humulus lupulus. In this relaxed conversation with organic farmer and Hops grower Acadia Tucker, we discuss this unwieldy and happy to be alive plant. We touch briefly on the history of Hops, which like...
06.18.2021
Sensational Spilanthes
Episode 36: Have you heard of Spilanthes? In this fun and informative interview with regenerative land designer, educator, facilitator, and Spilanthes fan Javan Bernakevitch, we discuss this unique plant. An herbal ally with a long history of use for oral health and...
04.23.2021
Wheat- An Ancient Grain for Modern Times
Episode 35: Did you know that Einkorn wheat is 27,000 years old? Wheat is one of the world's oldest grains and like it or love it, it’s been part of human life for thousands of years. Learn about this long...
02.01.2021
Tulsi Basil
Tulsi is a beautiful aromatic plant with strong medicinal qualities. In this interview with organic farmer Alena Steen of Night Heron Farm we learn how to propagate, grow, harvest, and utilize this lovely and revered plant. Tulsi is native to...
08.11.2020
The Happiness Tree: Albizia julibrissin
Episode 33: Albizia julibrisson is one of my new favorite new trees. Commonly called The Tree of Happiness, Persian Silk Tree, and Mimosa, Albizia is native to Asia and a member of the Fabaceae family. I love its pink puffball flowers,...
07.25.2020
The Amazing Amaranth Family
Episode 32: Meet the broad and beautiful Amaranth family in this episode with farmer and seed saver Andrew McMillion. Andrew shares his experiences propagating and growing Amaranth and tells us about his favorite members in this low maintenance and resilient...
11.11.2019
The Mighty Oak
Episode 31: Journey into the world of Quercus, the amazing Oak. Horticulturalist Byron Joel is an avid Oak fan and shares his knowledge about Oaks from tiny acorn to robust tree. You'll learn about what Oaks need to grow well, the...
05.03.2019
Nettle- The Prickly Medicinal Herb
Episode 30: If you've ever wandered into a patch of Nettle, you probably remember its ferocious sting! But, did you know that Nettle is a nutritional powerhouse and herbal medicine rock star? Renowned for its tiny hairs and formic acid bite,...
08.31.2018
Meet the Geranium Family!
Episode 29: Robin Parer loves Geraniums. An avid horticulturalist, Robin started a nursery in 1983 with 32 Geranium plants. Thirty five years later, Robin's nursery contains over 650 members of the Geraniaceae Family. Robin has traveled through leech infested Australian swamps,...
04.13.2018
The Lovely Loquat
Episode 28: Have you ever heard of Loquats? In this episode, farmer, educator, and author Ken Love talks about this sweet and prolific fruit tree. Found throughout the world, Loquats (Eriobotrya japonica) are easy to grow and maintain. Also known as Biwa...
02.23.2018
Lovely Lavender
Episode 27: Learn about Lavender with farmer Lori Parr. Lori, aka Lavender Lori, farms Lavender in Western Montana on Rosalie Ranch where she distills her own brand of essential oils and hydrosols. Lori is also the author of the soon to...
10.13.2017
Native Plants of the Appalachian Woodlands
Episode 26: Learn about native Appalachian herbs in this interview with educator, designer, and farmer Trevor Piersol. Co- founder of the Shenandoah Permaculture Institute, Trevor grows perennial fruits and medicinal herbs, with a focus on easy-care native plants, in his...
06.23.2017
Hawthorn for the Heart
Episode 25: Have you heard of Hawthorn? Herbalist Bonnie Rose Weaver is a big fan and in this episode fills you in on why she loves this plant! Hawthorn, Latin name Crataegus, is a heart tonic extraordinaire. A member of...
03.07.2017
The Medicinal, Edible Thistle
Episode 24: Thistles! To many of us, they are those annoying, prickly plants that "bite." Classified as a noxious weed in many areas, thistles are the topic of this podcast with Thistle admirer Katrina Blair, author of the book The Wild...
03.03.2017
Marvelous Mallow
Episode 23: Katrina Blair, author of the Wild Wisdom of Weeds, shares the many medicinal, culinary, and cosmetic uses of Mallow. We focus on Malva neglecta, a common weed found around the world. In many places, Malva is known as an invasive species,...
12.12.2016
Durian: The Aromatic King of Fruits
Episode 22: Imagine leaving your regular life behind and traveling for a year in search of a ripening fruit. This is what Lindsay Gasik did and it changed her life. The fruit she was searching for is Durian. One of the...
10.14.2016
Relax and Calm With Lemon Balm
Episode 21: Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis, is an easy to grow herb with many uses. To learn about Lemon Balm, I spoke with Kami McBride. Kami is an herbalist, herbal medicine instructor, and creator of the Living Awareness Institute. Kami has 27...
06.30.2016
The Power of Pulses with Dan Jason
Episode 20: Have you heard about Pulses? The edible seeds of legumes, Pulses are, in the words of my guest Dan Jason, a "simple, beautiful, nutritious, and versatile crop". Easily grown without herbicides or pesticides, pulses are resilient, need little...
12.31.2015
Paw Paw: The Forgotten Fruit
Episode 19: Have you ever eaten a paw paw? If you haven't, you'll probably want to, after hearing this interview with Andrew Moore, author of the book, Paw Paw In Search of America's Forgotten Fruit. Paw Paws are North America's largest, edible,...
10.24.2015
The Beautiful Rose
Episode 18: Our plant for this episode is the Rose. Roses are edible, medicinal, and therapeutic. To learn about this beautiful plant, I spoke with Linda Buzzell Saltzman, an Eco-Therapist and Rosarian who grows roses in and around her backyard food...
08.14.2015
Amazing Yeast- Tiny, Ubiquitous, and Invaluable
Episode 17: Our plant for this episode is not a plant. It's yeast. Tiny in size, huge in utility, yeast is all around us. Found in the Ecuadorian Rainforests, the Arctic, and on our skin, this single-celled member of the...
07.11.2015
Kalo- An Important Hawaiian Plant
Episode 16: In this episode we talk about Kalo or Taro, Colocasia esculenta. To learn about this staple of the Hawaiian diet, we visit the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens located in Kahului on the island of Maui. At Maui Nui, we speak with...
06.14.2015
The Magic of Mulberries
Loren Luyendyk has been working with Mulberry Trees for over 15 years. In this episode Loren talks about why he thinks more people should be growing this incredibly versatile plant. Did you know that Mulberry Trees can adapt to almost any...
04.17.2015
The Winter Squash Fan Club
Episode 14: Are you a winter squash fan? If not, you may become one after hearing organic farmer and seedsman Justin Huhn talk about one of his favorite crops- Winter Squash or Cucurbita. In this episode, Justin gives us his tips on growing...
03.28.2015
Thistles- The Prickly Plant With An Important Job
Episode 13: Ecological Designer and Permaculture Instructor Larry Santoyo talks about thistles. More interesting than you might think, thistles play an important role in soil restoration. Larry tells us about the intrinsic characteristics of thistles, why the Earth calls them in, and what...
03.14.2015
Chaya- The High Protein Greens You've Never Heard Of
Chaya (Cnidoscolus chayamansa) commonly called Tree Spinach is a very nutritious plant with high protein, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins. Reaching 3 meters (10 feet high), Chaya has maple-shaped leaves that are delicious steamed or cooked. Chaya is resistant to disease...
11.15.2014
Moringa- The Miracle Tree
Moringa is called the Miracle Tree and after listening to this episode, you'll know why! Native to Africa and Asia, Moringa offers a plethora of benefits. Fast and easy to grow in the right climate (tropical and sub-tropical), Moringa is...
09.17.2014
Outdoor Mushroom Cultivation
In this episode of The Plant Report, we talk with Michael Judd about outdoor mushroom cultivation. Growing mushrooms at home is fun, surprisingly easy and offers multiple benefits including a delicious medicinal crop, increased mycelium in your soil and mycoremediation opportunities. In...
08.24.2014
Hala- The Hawaiian PVC Pipe
We met with farmer and Hawaiian plant expert John Aquino on the beautiful grounds of the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens located on the island of Maui. In this episode, John talks about the many uses of Hala- Pandanus tectorius. Hala can...
07.13.2014
Feijoa- An Affable Edible Plant
Feijoa, Acca sellowiana, popularly known as pineapple guava is an easy to grow shrub with beautiful edible flowers and fruit that tastes like the tropics. To learn more about this delicious temperate sub-tropical plant, I spoke with Mark Albert, an...
05.19.2014
Bunya-Bunya Tree
The Bunya-Bunya (Araucaria bidwillii) is a tall, evergreen coniferous tree with large, edible and high carbohydrate nuts. In this Plant Report, Permaculture designer and horticulturist Byron Joel talks with Jill Cloutier about the Bunya-Bunya; its growing habits, history and untapped potential as a...
04.01.2014
Goumi- A Beautiful Bush With Benefits
Goumi is an attractive shrub that is useful in edible landscaping. Renowned for its beauty and delicious medicinal berries, goumi is easy to grow, drought tolerant and fixes nitrogen- making it a valuable soil amender. Goumi's fragrant cream colored flowers...
03.17.2014
Arracacha- The Peruvian Parsnip
Arracacha, Arracacia xanthorrhiza, is a perennial vegetable from the Andes. To learn more about this staple food crop I spoke with Permaculturist and plant expert Byron Joel. Delicious in flavor, Arracacha is a member of the Apiaceae family and is easy...
02.23.2014
Ashitaba- Nature's Super Food
Ashitaba is a plant rich in antioxidants, vitamins and chlorophyll. Also called Tomorrow's Leaf, Ashitaba is known for its quick regeneration and healing properties. To learn more about Ashitaba, Jill Cloutier interviewed John Glavis of Botierra Biodiversity Farms at the Heirloom Expo Heirloom Expo in...
01.12.2014
Titan Arum-The Largest Unbranched Inflorescence In The World!
Titan Arum may have one of the smelliest flowers on the planet (think old gym socks), but it's also one of the largest and most beautiful. Known as the carrion or corpse flower, Titan Arum gives off a pungent scent...
12.28.2013
Comfrey- A Plant With Many Uses
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is a gardener's friend. A plant with many benefits, comfrey can be used as medicine, mulch, liquid fertilizer, compost and chicken feed. Comfrey has a deep tap root that can mine the soil for nutrients and minerals....
04.22.2013
Nature's Medicine Chest- Elder (Sambucus)
Known as the Tree of Music and Nature's Medicine Chest, Elder has a long history of medicinal and musical use. Elderberries and flowers are a popular herbal remedy and elder branches can be used to make musical instruments. Steeped in...

What's The Plant Report- Every Plant Has A Story about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Plant Report- Every Plant Has A Story episodes:

The Fabulous Fig

The Wild World of Hops

Sensational Spilanthes

Wheat- An Ancient Grain for Modern Times

Tulsi Basil

The Happiness Tree: Albizia julibrissin

The Amazing Amaranth Family

The Mighty Oak

Nettle- The Prickly Medicinal Herb

Meet the Geranium Family!

The Lovely Loquat

Lovely Lavender

Native Plants of the Appalachian Woodlands

Hawthorn for the Heart

The Medicinal, Edible Thistle

Marvelous Mallow

Durian: The Aromatic King of Fruits

Relax and Calm With Lemon Balm

The Power of Pulses with Dan Jason

Paw Paw: The Forgotten Fruit

The Beautiful Rose

Amazing Yeast- Tiny, Ubiquitous, and Invaluable

Kalo- An Important Hawaiian Plant

The Magic of Mulberries

The Winter Squash Fan Club

Thistles- The Prickly Plant With An Important Job

Chaya- The High Protein Greens You've Never Heard Of

Moringa- The Miracle Tree

Outdoor Mushroom Cultivation

Hala- The Hawaiian PVC Pipe

Feijoa- An Affable Edible Plant

Bunya-Bunya Tree

Goumi- A Beautiful Bush With Benefits

Arracacha- The Peruvian Parsnip

Ashitaba- Nature's Super Food

Titan Arum-The Largest Unbranched Inflorescence In The World!

Comfrey- A Plant With Many Uses

Nature's Medicine Chest- Elder (Sambucus)