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

Lisa Cutshaw
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Biweekly

Do you ever feel stressed, stretched thin, and in need of a break from it all? You’re not alone. Welcome to Plant Connection. If you’re looking to reconnect with the world and find balance in the chaos, this plant podcast is for you. I’m your host, Lisa Cutshaw, a landscape architect and erstwhile plant ecologist – nature lover, farmer, hiker, seeker – and if you’re interested in exploring ways to deepen your relationship with nature and explore the many benefits that come with it, you are in the right place. In each episode, we’ll explore how plants, trees, and nature’s wisdom can help you restore a sense of peace and connection. The goal? To bring nature back into your life, no matter where you are, and help you feel more grounded, peaceful, and connected to both yourself and the world around you. Whether you’re just starting your journey into the world of plants or you’ve always been curious about our connection with nature, this is the place for you. Subscribe to Plant Connection now on your favorite podcast platform. Let’s reconnect – one plant at a time.

  1. 3d ago

    A Sting that Heals: Learning from Stinging Nettle

    What if the cure for a paralyzed arm was... more pain? In this episode, we dig into the strange 1821 case of a young woman treated for paralysis with urtification (deliberate flogging with stinging nettle) and use it as a doorway into everything nettle has meant to humans across history: medicine, food, fiber, folklore, and a surprising lesson about boundaries and reciprocity with nature. In This EpisodeA 19th-century medical mystery — Surgeon's assistant John Piper treats a young woman's five-month arm paralysis with repeated nettle flagellation. By day's end, she regains the use of her arm.The science (and speculation) behind it — Counter-irritation, skin stimulation, and placebo as possible explanations, plus a personal parallel: treating frozen shoulder with acupuncture.2,500 years of nettle medicine — From Pliny the Elder to Hippocrates' 61 listed uses, to modern topical treatments for arthritis, tendonitis, and sprains.Nettle as food — A documented survival food during the Irish Famine, the Soviet Famine, and WWII; also brewed as tea and used in soups.Nettle as fiber — Spun like flax or hemp, found in 5,000-year-old Danish burial shrouds, and used by Germany as a cotton substitute in both World Wars.Folklore from around the world — Roman soldiers and Roman Nettle in England, lightning protection in Italy, warding off evil spirits in Germany, a Cree legend on respect, and Celtic fairy guardians.Why it stings — The formic acid behind the burn, and the old folk remedy of rubbing dock leaves on the skin for relief.Growing nettle — Notes on it as an "edge species," where it thrives, and how to source untreated seeds if you want to grow it yourself.The bigger idea — Nettle as a "threshold guardian": it teaches that anything worth taking from nature comes with a gauntlet, and that healthy relationships, with plants or people, require reciprocity and boundaries. If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favorite 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-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

  2. Jul 7

    Food of the Emperors: the Not-So-Humble Cucumber

    Episode Description Ever wondered why greenhouses exist? Blame Tiberius. In this episode, Lisa traces the cucumber's remarkable journey from a Roman emperor's daily obsession that sparked an ancient horticultural invention, to its 5,000-year history across continents, to the pickle jar in your fridge today. Along the way: mysterious translucent stone, Egyptian cucumber wine, pound-a-piece cucumbers in Georgian England, and a gut-health bonus hiding in your favorite pickle. In This Episode How the Roman emperor's insistence on daily cucumbers, even in winter on the Isle of Capri, led to the invention of the specularia, history's first greenhouseThe mica-like translucent stone the Romans used instead of glass, and how movable, wheeled planting boxes let gardeners chase the sunCultivation dating back to roughly 3300 BCE in the Indus Valley, plus a mention in the Bible during the Israelites' time in EgyptWhen a single cucumber could cost a pound, and why home gardens matteredSalt brine, garlic, and dill fermentation, and the gut-health benefits of lactobacillus🌱 Growing tips for cucumbers If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favorite 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-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

  3. Jun 23

    Saved by the Elder: Ancient healing when we need it

    What do you say when a plant with a reputation for ancient healing magic turns out to be just what the old folks always said it was? In this episode, we explore the Elder (or elderberry, as I’ve always known it). From its role in warning the people of the Netherlands of the Nazi invasion to thousands of years of healing tradition. In this episode: The midwinterhoorn and its role in warning neighbors that the Nazis were invading the NetherlandsThe healing properties of elderberryIts role in history and religionHow elderberry can fit in 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. 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-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

  4. Jun 9

    The Emancipation Oak: History, Legend, and the King of Trees

    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 possibleWhy oak trees have been gathering places and sacred sites across cultures worldwideThe Cherokee relationship with red oak and its medicinal usesHow 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. 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-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

  5. May 26

    Brambles and Berries: The abundance of blackberry

    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: A remedy for dysentery from the Leechbook of Bald.Why Hippocrates soaked blackberry leaves in white wine.The ecology of blackberries.How to grow blackberries in your garden.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. 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-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

  6. May 12

    Tulip: the flower that broke the economy and fed a nation

    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: The life-saving role of the tulip in the Hunger Winter of 1944-45.The Tulip Mania of the 1630s and how a virus led to great beauty.Tulip’s importance in its native homeland and how it got to Europe.How to grow tulips in your garden.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. 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-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

  7. Apr 28

    The Carpenter's Deal: How One Man Saved an Ash Tree With Silver

    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: 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.How ash figures in Norse, Celtic, and Native American mythology.The surprising reason the Wright Brothers used ash wood in the first airplane.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. 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-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

  8. Apr 14

    Redbud: A little plant that triumphed against the odds

    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: The story of Governor E. Marland’s quandary over whether to sign the bill.The healing properties of redbud.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. 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-a-plant-podcast-to-reconnect-you/id1801774758

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About

Do you ever feel stressed, stretched thin, and in need of a break from it all? You’re not alone. Welcome to Plant Connection. If you’re looking to reconnect with the world and find balance in the chaos, this plant podcast is for you. I’m your host, Lisa Cutshaw, a landscape architect and erstwhile plant ecologist – nature lover, farmer, hiker, seeker – and if you’re interested in exploring ways to deepen your relationship with nature and explore the many benefits that come with it, you are in the right place. In each episode, we’ll explore how plants, trees, and nature’s wisdom can help you restore a sense of peace and connection. The goal? To bring nature back into your life, no matter where you are, and help you feel more grounded, peaceful, and connected to both yourself and the world around you. Whether you’re just starting your journey into the world of plants or you’ve always been curious about our connection with nature, this is the place for you. Subscribe to Plant Connection now on your favorite podcast platform. Let’s reconnect – one plant at a time.

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