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 after, as well as how it made its way to the U.S. as the Christmas tree we know and love.

We also look at the ecology and resilience of Norway spruce forests, the wildlife that depends on them, and the surprising ways humans have used the tree for food.

Covered in this episode:

• How the Norway spruce became the tree behind the $23 million violin.
• The centuries-long craftsmanship behind growing the Norway spruce.
• The history of the Christmas tree.
• Norway spruce as habitat and food source.
• How Norway spruce made its way to the U.S.
• What gives the spruce tree its unique aroma?
• And more…

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favourite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

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Root Stem Leaf - https://www.rootstemleaf.com/

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Plant Connection - https://plant-connection.captivate.fm

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZDb9ovKXRTomKYnyqF8Rv

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection/id1801774758

CREDITS

Script - Jacob Ashton (https://jacobashton.net/)

Research - Adriana Gogolin

Produced by Claricast.

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 Twelve Days of Christmas carol, so we’ll also look into why that partridge was in a pear tree!

This episode has a bunch of stories you’ll want to share around the table over the holidays.

Covered in this episode:

• How the John Endicott Pear Tree became the USA’s longest standing tree.
• Why the pear tree is included in The Twelve Days of Christmas.
• How the European pear first entered North America.
• How to grow a pear tree at home.
• Why Detroit is home to so many pear trees.
• And more…

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favourite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

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Follow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rootstemleafblog/

Root Stem Leaf - https://www.rootstemleaf.com/

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Plant Connection - https://plant-connection.captivate.fm

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZDb9ovKXRTomKYnyqF8Rv

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection/id1801774758

CREDITS

Script - Jacob Ashton (https://jacobashton.net/)

Research - Adriana Gogolin

Produced by Claricast.

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 is true.

Covered in this episode:

• The history of the apple from crabapple to the thousands of varieties we enjoy today.
• The fascinating story of the Wolf River apple and how it became so iconic.
• Does the ‘apple a day’ saying have real meaning?
• Uses for apples that you might not have thought of.
• And more…

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favourite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

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The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (Book) - https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Fruits_and_Fruit_Trees_of_America.html?id=TOOEEQAAQBAJ

The Illustrated History of Apples in the United States and Canada (Book) - https://www.jakkawpress.com/book/the-illustrated-history-of-apples-in-the-united-states-and-canada

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/id1801774758

CREDITS

Script - Jacob Ashton (https://jacobashton.net/)

Research - Adriana Gogolin

Produced by Claricast.

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 insects and many more uses for hundreds of years.

Covered in this episode:

• Why the horse chestnut tree sparked international action.
• A surprising eco-friendly use for conkers you can try at home.
• What the horse chestnut tree reveals about our changing climate.
• The history of playing conkers.
• The WWI campaign that saw children collecting conkers.
• And more…

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favourite 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/id1801774758

CREDITS

Script - Jacob Ashton (https://jacobashton.net/)

Research - Adriana Gogolin

Produced by Claricast.

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 November?

Covered in this episode:

• The story of the world’s largest pumpkin.
• How pumpkins found their way into Halloween and Thanksgiving.
• How pumpkins and zucchinis look so different while being part of the same species.
• The origin story of the jack-o'-lantern (which used to be a turnip!).
• Avoiding the environmental impacts of pumpkin farming in October.
• How to grow pumpkins at home.
• And more…

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favourite 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/id1801774758

CREDITS

Script - Jacob Ashton (https://jacobashton.net/)

Research - Adriana Gogolin

Produced by Claricast.

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 story goes far deeper than desserts, and I’m sure you’ll come away with some stories to tell over your pecan pie over the holidays.

Covered in this episode:

• The surprisingly recent history of the pecan tree.
• How pecans spread across America.
• The Indigenous pecan etymology.
• The medicinal and ecological roles the pecan tree plays.
• How plant grafting works.
• How to grow a pecan tree from seed.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favourite 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/id1801774758

CREDITS

Script - Jacob Ashton (https://jacobashton.net/)

Research - Adriana Gogolin

Produced by Claricast.

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 some of this fascinating plant’s story today.

Covered in this episode:

• How tribes used arrowwood for arrows, food, and medicine.
• The healing properties of arrowwood teas.
• Why birds and mammals depend on arrowwood.
• Arrowwood as a cultural symbol.
• How to grow arrowwood viburnum in your garden.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favourite 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/id1801774758

CREDITS

Script - Jacob Ashton (https://jacobashton.net/)

Research - Adriana Gogolin

Produced by Claricast.

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 episode:

• The story of the classic children’s book, Blueberries for Sal.
• What’s the difference between wild blueberries and regular blueberries?
• Why some people call blueberries “starberries”.
• The role of blueberries in pemmican and their history as sustenance and medicine.
• Where bears play their role when it comes to growing blueberries.
• Why blueberries are more than just a trendy “superfood”.
• How to grow blueberries at home.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favourite 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/id1801774758