In Defense of Plants Podcast

Matt Candeias holds a PhD in ecology from the University of Illinois, and his love for plants borders on evangelical — in the best possible way. In Defense of Plants is his mission to make people care about the green organisms they walk past every day, and after more than 300 episodes, he's built one of the most dedicated botanical audiences in podcasting. The format is primarily interview-based. Candeias brings on botanists, ecologists, conservationists, and plant scientists to discuss everything from the smallest duckweed to the tallest redwood. Some episodes feature audio field trips where he visits specific habitats and describes what he's seeing. His interviewing style is curious and well-prepared — he clearly reads the research before sitting down to talk, which means conversations move past the basics quickly. Candeias is also the author of a book published jointly with the Smithsonian and the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, and that scholarly background gives the podcast real credibility. Episodes run 40 to 60 minutes and drop weekly. The show has 1,235 Apple ratings with a 4.8 star average, which is remarkable for a niche topic. Plant biology doesn't get nearly the popular attention that animal biology does, and this podcast exists to correct that imbalance. If you've ever wondered why a particular tree grows where it does, how carnivorous plants evolved, or what's actually happening inside a seed, this is the show that answers those questions with genuine depth and affection.