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Plant People

by New York Botanical Garden

Earth SciencesScienceNatural Sciences

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Latest episodes

Kelp with Dr. April Ridlon

June 8, 2026 · 27 min

In our final Plant People episode of Season 3, we explore forests of a different sort—those that live beneath the ocean’s waves. Along many of the world’s coastlines, kelp forests offer food and shelter for a wide variety of animal species…
Cycads with Dr. Dennis Stevenson

May 25, 2026 · 23 min

On this episode of Plant People, host Jennifer Bernstein—CEO and The William C. Steere Senior President of NYBG—joins Dr. Dennis Stevenson, previously NYBG’s Vice President for Botanical Science, to explore some of our planet’s oldest…
Giant Water Lilies with Brie Langley & Vanessa Callahan

May 11, 2026 · 32 min

On this episode of Plant People, host Jennifer Bernstein—CEO and The William C. Steere Senior President of NYBG, joins Vanessa Callahan of Denver Botanic Gardens and Brie Langley of Royal Botanic Gardens Kew to chat about one of the plant…
Cacao with Professor Pathmanathan Umaharan

April 27, 2026 · 26 min

In this episode of Plant People, host Jennifer Bernstein, CEO and The William C. Steere Sr. President of NYBG, sits down with Professor Pathmanathan Umaharan, Director of the Cocoa Research Centre at the University of the West Indies, to…
Pitcher Plants with Dr. Rob Naczi

March 30, 2026 · 26 min

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Rob Naczi, Arthur J. Cronquist Curator of North American Botany at the New York Botanical Garden. Listen in as he and host Jennifer Bernstein, NYBG President and CEO, discuss pitcher plants—carnivorous…

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Ghost Orchid with Dr. Melissa Abdo

March 16, 2026 · 27 min

In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Melissa Abdo, a Floridian whose work in conservation has brought her face to face with countless captivating yet threatened plants in the swamps of the southeast—including the ghost orchid. Long coveted…
The American Chestnut with Michael Goergen

March 2, 2026 · 22 min

In this week’s episode of Plant People, Michael Goergen of The American Chestnut Foundation joins us to discuss the tragic history—and hopeful future—of one of North America’s most iconic trees. In the early 20th century, chestnut blight…
Turkey Tail Fungi with Eugenia Bone

February 16, 2026 · 26 min

In this episode, we’re joined by amateur mycologist, food and nature writer, and NYBG instructor Eugenia Bone to revisit the world of fungi—the not-quite-plant, not-quite-animal lifeforms that keep our planet’s biological processes…
Moss with Robin Wall Kimmerer

February 2, 2026 · 27 min

Have you ever stopped to admire a patch of green moss—really gotten up close and SEEN the tiny forest of plantlife in all its complexity? For the first episode of Plant People Season 3, we’re doing just that. Today we’re joined by…
Plant People Season 3 Trailer

January 26, 2026 · 2 min

From the tallest chestnut trees to the strangest pitcher plants, the botanical world is FULL of fascinating stories. And this season on Plant People—the third for NYBG’s award-winning podcast—we’re doing a deep dive on a different plant…
Special feature from the Smithsonian's Sidedoor podcast: "King of the Herbs"

August 5, 2025 · 30 min

While Plant People is between seasons, we have a special episode, "King of the Herbs", from our friends at the Smithsonian's Sidedoor podcast: It’s a wild herb that countless cultures have used for centuries as a wonder drug to cure any…
Ecotourism: Inspiring a Plant-Powered Economy

July 14, 2025 · 29 min

We’re wrapping up Season 2 with NYBG’s Chief Science Officer, Mauricio Díazgranados, Ph.D., who discusses how engaging with nature through travel makes us more inclined to protect it—and the ways that tourism can actually help our planet…

Full episode archive on Apple Podcasts →

About the show

Plant People explores the ways our relationships with plants are tied to current environmental issues, and how art and culture reflect our connection to the ecosystems we rely on to thrive. Through lively stories and conversations with scientists, gardeners, artists, and experts, join the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) for deep dives into everything from food systems and horticulture to botanical breakthroughs in the lab and the field, and the many ways our daily lives are sustained by plants. Then stay for discussions on how we can return the favor, protecting what we have—and cultivating what we need—to ensure plants and people continue to support each other for future generations. Host Jennifer Bernstein, NYBG’s President & CEO, guides you through the role of humans in caring for our shared planet, whether you’re in your backyard garden, tending a window sill full of houseplants, or finding your love of nature in a concrete jungle. Let NYBG—rooted in NYC’s cultural fabric for over 130 years and a beloved respite in the heart of the Bronx, the city’s greenest borough—be your anchor for understanding how plants make a difference in your life, and our world, every single day—in ways both big and small.