Plant Connection: A Plant Podcast to Reconnect You With Nature, One Plant At A Time
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 nat...
Keeper of Memory: The Beech Tree
Beech trees have been recording human history for centuries, from Daniel Boone's famous "bar tree" carving in 1760 to family names etched above a mountain cemetery. In this episode, we explore the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and its European cousin (Fagus sylvatica), tracing the tree's ties to storytelling, food, medicine, and craftsmanship.
In This Episode
Daniel Boone’s bear treeA family tradition around a beech treeArborglyphsThe beech tree and the written wordA forgotten foodIf you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next...
Jewelweed: A Friend in Need
Do you have a friend who is there for you when you are in pain? I’d argue that jewelweed symbolizes that relationship. In this episode, we look at jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), a plant you embodies the old maxim that the cure is found near the problem.
In This Episode
A cure for skin irritations like poison ivy and insect bitesThe childhood joy of touch me not seedsWhat jewelweed has to teach usGrowing jewelweedIf you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss the...
A Tree of Protection and Thin Places: The Juniper
From liquid courage on the battlefield to cemetery meditation spots, this episode traces the many lives of one small, tenacious tree.
In This Episode
We start with a story from the Thirty Years' War, where Dutch soldiers reportedly sipped genever, a juniper flavored liqueur, before battle, possibly giving rise to the phrase "Dutch courage." From there, the episode follows juniper across centuries and continents:
The genever connection — how this juniper spirit became the ancestor of gin, and why "Dutch courage" probably meant something closer to calm resolve than a whiskey-fueled dareAncient Egypt — juniper oil and...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 Episode
A 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 sc...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...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 yo...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...
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...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...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...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...
Rhubarb: A Plant worth risking death to possess
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:
The story of Dr. James Mounsey smuggling rhubarb from Russia to Scotland.The mythical roots of rhubarb.How to grow rhubarb in your garden.If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favorite podcast pl...
Flowering Cherry: Persistence in Bloom
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:
The tireless persistence of Eliza Scidmore.Where flowering cherries come from.What flowering cherries can...The Rhododendron: As Beautiful As It Is Dangerous
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 lega...
The Story Of Camellia - The Flower Inside 5 Billion Cups Of Tea A Day
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...
Witch Hazel: The Fascinating History Of The Healing Winter Flower
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...
How The White Pine Became A Foundation For American Life
Long before borders were drawn in North America, one tree carried a message of peace and solidarity.
That tree was the white pine.
In this episode, we explore the story of the white pine and its deep cultural significance across North America, from the Great Peacemaker’s journey between tribes with a message of friendship, to the white pine tree that may have been sitting in your home at Christmas time.
We uncover how this tree became a foundation of American life - shaping homes, ships, and settlements, and how its near destruction ha...
The 100 Million Year Old Flower That Brought A Community Together
In 1969, one Brooklyn woman was fighting to protect a single magnolia tree. And her determination reshaped an entire neighbourhood.
In this episode, we explore the magnolia tree, its 100-million-year+ history, and the story of Hattie Carthan, who protected the Lafayette Avenue Magnolia of Bedford-Stuyvesant through grassroots action.
Being one of the oldest flowering trees on Earth, the magnolia tree predates bees and sharks, and we discover how the tree has managed to survive all these years.
From its dinner-plate-sized blossoms to its medicinal uses and global popularity as an ornamental tree, the magnolia has...
Spruce Trees Aren’t Just for Christmas: The Tree Behind The $23 Million Violin
Norway Spruce trees are a common sight in the festive season as Christmas trees. But this tall, conical tree isn’t just for Christmas. It’s a tree that has shaped music history.
In this episode, we explore the extraordinary journey of the Norway spruce, back to the 1600s, including its role in crafting the world’s most valuable violins, which can sell for over $20 million.
Master luthier Antonio Stradivari’s work with the Norway spruce has led to its wood being referred to as ‘tone wood’. We uncover why this tree’s wood is so sought afte...
How This Pear Tree Became The Oldest Tree In The USA
There is a tree in Massachusetts that has outlasted generations.
Walking past it, it might seem like any other tree. But the Endicott Pear Tree has faced a trip half way around the world and centuries of harsh weather, and still produces fruit.
In this episode, we uncover the remarkable tale of John Endicott, one of the first European settlers, and the pear tree he brought to the New World.
We explore how the European pear became established in North America. The pear tree came to mind when thinking of its inclusion in...
The Apple: Tracing the Most Iconic Fruit to Its Surprising History
It’s hard to imagine a fruit more familiar than the apple.
It’s been with us for centuries, and many of us have memories centred around the apple tree. But we rarely hear about where the apple came from and why it became such an icon.
In this episode, we trace the apple’s journey from the wild crabapple to the thousands of domesticated varieties that fill our shops today.
You’ll discover how explorers shaped the fruit we know so well and how much of what we think we know about apples i...
The Horse Chestnut Tree: A Symbol Of Hope, Play & Resilience
In 2007, a 170-year-old horse chestnut tree in Amsterdam became the centre of a global campaign.
The local government saw it as a risk to surrounding buildings and condemned it. But the public stood in their way.
Because this wasn’t just any tree. It was the symbol of hope that Anne Frank wrote about in her diary.
In this episode of Plant Connection, we explore how the horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) became a symbol of hope.
But that’s not all. The tree has provided entertainment for children, food for inse...
How The Pumpkin Claimed Two of America’s Biggest Holidays
No thanksgiving feast would be complete without pumpkin pie.
No Halloween would be complete without a front yard decked with jack-o'-lanterns.
But the pumpkin had a rocky start to its popularity.
In this episode of Plant Connection, we follow the fascinating journey of the pumpkin, from overlooked and unfashionable to a beloved cultural icon of both Halloween and Thanksgiving.
We’ll trace its rise through folklore, food traditions, and the cookbook that changed everything.
The pumpkin wasn’t always loved, so how did it become the face of October and...
How The Pecan Quickly Became A Beloved Southern Icon
Pecan pie, praline, pecan brittle.
It’s hard to imagine a time when pecans weren’t a beloved staple, particularly in the American South. But pecans are one of the most recently domesticated food plants.
In today’s episode of Plant Connection, I dig into the surprising history of the pecan tree - an unassuming native plant that quietly propagated across America.
We begin in the mid-1800s with a man named Antoine, an enslaved horticulturist tasked with the challenge of creating a pecan cultivar with large, reliable, easily crackable nuts.
The st...
Arrows, Medicine & Sustenance: The Power of Arrowwood
With its flexible yet tough shoots, arrowwood (or Viburnum dentatum) was the perfect plant for making arrow shafts.
But that’s not all.
The Cherokee and other tribes made use of arrowwood for both survival and medicinal purposes, and that’s why I wanted to look into its history in this episode of Plant Connection.
And the story of arrowwood doesn’t end in the past.
With over a hundred species, some producing edible fruits, arrowwood has been great for all sorts of uses for hundreds of years. I want to share...
The "Superfood" Berry Once Believed To Have Celestial Origins
Most of us know blueberries as the sweet “superfood” we toss into smoothies or onto our pancakes.
But the story of the blueberry runs much deeper, touching myth, history, survival, and children’s literature.
In this episode, I take you into the world of the wild blueberry (or Vaccinium angustifolium if we want to get technical) - a low bush plant that carries a rich legacy.
From Robert McCloskey’s ‘Blueberries for Sal’ to Native American legend and dietary staple, this humble fruit has been feeding bodies and imaginations for generations.
In this epis...
Why You Should Never Cut Down A Hawthorn Tree
What comes to mind when you think of the hawthorn? Maybe it’s a positive memory of one in your garden sharing its beauty all year round - or maybe it’s the sharp sting of a thorn!
In this episode, we explore why the many varieties of hawthorn have captured human imagination for centuries, and why it continues to offer protection and wonder to those who know where to look for it.
Hawthorn is a small but mighty tree, packed with meaning across cultures, particularly in America and Western Europe. From its edible fruits (haws...
Why This Little-Known Plant Is A Gift to People and Wildlife
Some plants quietly impact the world around us - the natural world and the people living in it, offering food, meaning, and connection - without demanding much attention…
The serviceberry is one of them.
In this episode, I explore the deep-rooted beauty of this humble plant and what it has to offer.
The serviceberry, also known as juneberry (amongst a few other names), is a lesser-known member of the rose family. Its delicate blooms arrive just as spring settles in, and its sweet berries feed both wildlife and humans.
In this ep...
How This Tree Became a Symbol of Remembrance & Renewal
For centuries, people have turned to nature for healing, reflection, and renewal. And the dogwood tree is one of those plants that have offered this sense of healing.
This week, I explore the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) - a tree that marks the arrival of spring with its delicate white blooms.
From its role in the Charlottesville Dogwood Vietnam Memorial to its surprising historical uses, the dogwood has long been an anchor for resilience and remembrance.
Covered in this episode:
Why the dogwood tree has become a symbol of healing and remembrance...Rediscovering Connection With The Sugar Maple
The sugar maple is more than just a tree - it’s a symbol of community, resilience, and the gifts nature offers us.
And that’s why in this first episode of Plant Connection, I’ve decided to explore the deep relationship between humans and this iconic tree.
The sugar maple has long been cherished for its wonderful colors and its role in producing maple syrup. But beyond its beauty and utility, the sugar maple holds a rich history.
I’ll take you on a journey of discovery as we learn more about how the...
Plant Connection Trailer
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 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’...
