Floral Revolutionaries: Plants as Planet-Makers

Flowers, believe it or not, are nature's greatest revolutionaries. In this episode of Constant Wonder, biologist David George Haskell and host Marcus Smith discuss how flowers turned enemies into allies and used ultra-precise adaptations to survive an intensely competitive natural world. By exploring the floral connections that draw him closer to his mother and great-great-grandfather, David also examines how flowers have changed in just a few short decades. He makes the case for following a single bloom's growth and decay over the course of several months, and describes the benefits of keeping a floral diary—an easy way for anyone to become more attentive to the subtle turning of the seasons. Guest: David George Haskell, author of "How Flowers Made Our World: The Story of Nature's Revolutionaries" Chapters: (0:00) Meet David George Haskell (7:21) Searching for orchids with his mother (13:52) Glimpses of himself in his great-great-grandfather (21:56) Why are flowers revolutionaries? (31:05) Balancing cooperation and conflict (34:59) Tracking a magnolia bloom (44:42) David's floral diary