It was a dark and stormy day at Plant Rx. No, really. Listen closely and you may hear the wind howling while Justin Hancock and Marcos Garcia search for plants that look ready to haunt the place. After Justin declares Calathea the spookiest houseplant, Marcos reveals that thirsty plants frighten him far more than anything with fangs. Fortunately, Justin explains how a self-watering pot can make Calathea Dottie considerably less terrifying. From there, they explore the dark foliage of ZZ Everlasting, the skeletal veins of Alocasia Polly, Rabbit's Foot Fern crawling over the sides of a skull-shaped pot, and Eyelash Fern fronds that look just strange enough to be suspicious. Carnivorous plants join the party, along with orchids that fool spiders, ghostly Philodendron, silvery snake plants, and the magnificently bearded Old Man Cactus. Add the right Halloween pot, and even an innocent houseplant can look suspiciously prepared for the zombie apocalypse.‌

There's been an insurrection! This week, Justin Hancock has been demoted from cohost to "special guest," leaving Marcos Garcia gleefully in charge of the questions. Happily, Justin came ready to play. Marcos digs into Justin's background, including his 10 years at Better Homes & Gardens, to find out what made him qualified, or possibly crazy enough, to write The New Complete Guide to Houseplants. Justin talks about moving from magazine articles to a 270-page book, the best and worst surprises along the way, and how he narrowed an entire world of houseplants down to the 100 that made the cut. He also reveals his personal favorite and names the hippest plant currently on the market. Marcos pipes up with stories from the photo shoots, where the plants were photogenic even when the designer was feeling less than pristine. They wrap up with details on when the book will be available and how to preorder a signed copy from CostaFarms.com, because apparently writing 270 pages wasn't enough for Justin's hand.

Is a pothos really a pothos? As Justin Hancock and Marcos Garcia discuss in this episode of Plant Rx, the answer is a perfectly reasonable "sort of." They dig into the sometimes-confusing world of common and botanical names, including why the plant most of us call pothos is actually an Epipremnum and how botanical research shook up its family tree. Justin explains what a true Pothos is, how Scindapsus, often called silver pothos, fits into the conversation, and where the name devil's ivy came from. They also explore why Epipremnum has become the quintessential houseplant and uncover one of its stranger, and perhaps sadder, secrets: It appears to have lost the ability to flower naturally. So how does a plant that does not bloom or produce seeds keep turning up in homes everywhere? Justin breaks down how it reproduces, proving that you do not need flowers or seeds to become one of the world's most popular houseplants.