Herbarium of the Bizarre

Meredith Hemphill
  • 5.0 (4)
  • LIFE SCIENCES
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A podcast about strange, spooky, and misunderstood plants (and sometimes fungi). Support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/HerbariumoftheBizarre

  1. JAN 25

    Pohutukawa

    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

    9 min
  2. Cranberry

    12/01/2025

    Cranberry

    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

    11 min

  3. 10/10/2025

    Skeleton Flower

    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

    11 min

  4. 09/26/2025

    Narrow-leafed Campion

    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

    13 min

  5. 09/14/2025

    Dutch Elm Disease

    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

    17 min

  6. 09/06/2025

    Vegetable Lamb

    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

    17 min

  7. 08/28/2025

    Episode 88 Delayed (feat. Autumn)

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

    1 min

  8. 08/15/2025

    Privets

    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

    9 min
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About

A podcast about strange, spooky, and misunderstood plants (and sometimes fungi). Support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/HerbariumoftheBizarre

Information

  • Creator
    Meredith Hemphill
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    94
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Meredith Hemphill
  • Show Website
    Herbarium of the Bizarre