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Call for questions: NATIVE PLANTS (Patreon)

Published:
2023-10-16 16:10:01
Edited:
2023-10-17 08:09:02
Imported:
2026-06

Content

On Wednesday I'll be interviewing an ethnobotanist about Indigenous Phytology (NATIVE PLANTS). As a member of the Squamish First Nation, this researcher and activist focuses on traditional knowledge renewal, plant foods, and plant medicine. She also owns a botanical skincare line that honors indigenous science and rituals.

Got questions on harvesting and cooking? Natural medicines and skin products? Leave 'em in the comments!

Comments

Winnie’s a Witch

is it possible to make your own botanical skincare at home or is that a bad idea? if so what are some recommended ways to start/resources!

Rayna

Can you talk about the cherokee women who sewed beans into their skirts?

Beau Jarvis

What is the intersection of indigenous knowledge and scientific experiments when working on plant medicines?

Brittany Peek

Plants for calming effect/blood pressure???

Jenn Macgillivray

Not first time question asker but haven’t heard one read yet: Do they often come in contact with wildlife when sourcing native plants? I crossed paths with a black bear while biking on a path in Whistler this Spring and while I decided to turn and bike the opposite direction, she really didn’t seem to give two shits that I was there.

Kait Dani

How can non-indigenous people best respect native practices while trying to utilize some indigenous science and rituals? Native practices are better for the earth, but I definitely don’t want to be part of the appropriation problem!

Rick T

Is there good plant to treat pain/inflammation? How about nausea?

Anna Eeeee

how long does a naturalized plant need to be in the area to become native? does native mean it must have been there before westernized human intervention?

Dylan V

Are there any examples of non-endemic plants that have helped biodiversity/ecosystems when introduced, or are they always harmful to the native ecosystem?

Holly Giorgio-Dundon

Can you speak to how the planting of native plants in one’s region helps support biodiversity and combat climate change?

Nina Giacobbe

AAAAHHH THIS IS MY DREAM EPISODE!! I've been working to replace all the landscaping in my yard with native plants. I try to buy from local sources or trade with friends and neighbors, but I'd love to support the original stewards of this knowledge. Can you recommend some indigenous-owned plant nurseries/seed sources? (Last name pronunciation: juh-KOH-bee)

Anna Eeeee

I run a native plant club at my university and want to incorporate indigenous knowledge and uses of native plants. What are some good resources I can use for this and how can I present indigenous knowledge respectfully as a white person?

Rosalee de la Foret

Leigh Joseph! I just interviewed her for my own podcast. I'm an herbalist and I LOVED her book! I can't wait to hear your interview! Here are some questions for her... 1. When just getting interested in medicinal plants, people often want to know what plant is good for what condition or illness. Your teachings tell us that “Plants teach us about being connected and in relationship with place.” Why is this important? 2. Too often people dismiss plants unless there is a scientific study (or 20 of them) showing positive results. Can you share the limitations of science in regard to medicinal plants? What are other ways of knowing?

Anna Eeeee

Great question, I hope they answer this in the pod. For years I have been making my own face oil by using a base of Jojoba oil and then adding essential oils and other oils based on what my skin needs.

Mangomoosh

We focus so much on what plants can do for us. How can people learn to see the preservation of these things as equally important as what they “do” for us. How do we sow that seed better?

Diana Davis

How are native plants defined? Pre-European colonialism? Were any plants brought to the Americas by indigenous peoples?

Amy Gibson

any tips for managing a garden space if you have arachnophobia? I want to do more in the natural spaces I have access to and I know spiders are a very important contributor to local ecosystems, but I have given up on so many plants as soon as I see a spider set up there 😩 (I'll accept answers from other ologites too!!)

Mary Blickenderfer

Pssst...Alie, I believe you meant to write "phytology" instead of "photology"?

Roberta Hancock & Byron Sampson

What is/are the best natural preservatives to use in home made botanical skincare products? I live in Phoenix where ambient temperatures make for short-lived product batches even in A/C!

Annmarie Everhart

What would you say to someone who says that the proliferation of invasive species is just "survival of the fittest"?

Anna Eeeee

Not a question but just wanted to say that I have been WAITING for a native plants episode and I’m so excited!! Thanks Alie for taking the time to do this❤️

Will Clark

What are suggested resources for discovery indigenous plant-life with medicinal properties by geographic area?

Magnapinna

What are some reputable resources available that detail the indigenous practices in our local area?

Breahna Lesemann

Why is it important to have native plants? Do non native plants have negative impacts?

Isa Brillard

Oh hell yeah! So excited! How long does a plant need to grow in a region before it’s considered “native?” How do you compassionately talk to people about not harvesting endangered native plants? What are your favorite indigenous non-alcoholic herbal preparations? Name pronunciation (Ee-sah Bril-lerd)

Olivia

How do I find reliable sources for purchasing native plants?

Mushroom Screams

Do you have good resources for finding native plants in your area? Especially for urban gardens.

Cambria E

Ah Im so excited for this Im studying environmental design wanting to work with specifically native plants! How can we move forward in persuading the public on the importance of planting native? Do you think it’s possible to have it become a new standard for landscaping?

Morgan

What are some of the most important plants to grow if you want to maintain a natural pharmacopeia? Are there any that are ubiquitous across the country?

Winnie’s a Witch

oh that sounds awesome!! fingers crossed they answer :)

Guido

Are there natural remedies that are not used anymore because they have been proven dangerous by scientists?

Julia Myers

What is your local area? I imagine the resources would be different in South Carolina than they would be in Arizona.

Levin Dotimas

How can we advocate for increased use of native plants in landscaping?

Ashlee Dent

So excited! I have a million questions… so I’ll try to pick one… Is there a way to determine native vs non native plants? I’d love to harvest and eat more invasive species. Is there a book, author, source you recommend for learning? For reference I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. That was 2 but who’s counting????

Lindsay Malone

In addition to practicing the tenants of honorable harvest (such as those described by Robin Wall Kimmerer in her book Braiding Sweetgrass) are there other practices to give thanks to native plants? Well wishes? Specific offerings or region-specific customs? (I try to incorporate good thoughts and ecological knowledge in restoration work I do on Salish lands and when moving among and across landscapes. Wanna do well by the Plant People!) 🌱🌻🌳🌲🍃🍂🍁🌾

Marcelle Slote

+1! i want to know a professional standpoint too!!!!

Zinc

what can be done about invasive plants? the uk is really in ecological ruin (we were doing the awful things to our land before we came over and tried to do it to yours (sorry for the oversimplification)) and there are so many invasive plants. i can’t even imagine where to start.

Matt Hirschl

For once and for all, DO PLANTS HAVE FEELINGS????

Hope J 🏳️‍🌈

Do you have a garden and do you nurture native plants? What is your favorite native plant in your area or in general? Do you like to forage native plants and which are the best ones to forage?

Heather Wills

Any recommendations on books or websites that can be used as resources for those folks wanting to make their own medicinals like salves, tinctures, and the like? Specifically ones that give information on plants and their uses, instructions on how to make things, and also places to either order plants to use or seeds to purchase to plant them yourself.

mary de voe

Yay! My daughter graduated Quest - nice to see representation! Are there any folklore stories about creatures or forces bringing plants from away? Thank you!!

Chelsea-Victoria Turner

I am a member and projext grant recipient of the Wyoming native plant society. my favorite pass time is foraging and making teas and salves. Being in Wyoming I am so fortunate to be able to interact with the tribes of this state, as well as SW South Dakota. I am a plant biologist in the fields of invasive species and plant-microbe interactions. the main thing I've learned in my schooling is that I don't know much at all. So yes, very excited for this episode! such important stuff. getting to know native plants and planting natives instead of alien ornamental are such easy ways to give back ecologically. I also believe fully that should traditional knowledge be respectfully recognized and understood (to whatever extent it is willing to be shared by the keepers of it), it will be more likely that we can save this planet. Seriously, I cannot wait to hear what this person has to say! Also, did I say that I'm excited yet! I guess I would ask: what is the most important/valuable piece of advice you would give to people who are interested in traditional ecological knowledge, but are also white. also to those interested in beginning to forage & would Iike to do so respectfully. also favorite native plant and favorite plant for medicinal purposes. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

Lorie B

1- Yay! Plant nerd so excited... 2- Can you please ask about the intersection of native plants and pollinator conservation. What can your average person do in their own yard/patio and what can they do in their larger community to foster more native plants for a healthier eco-system! 3- Where can a lay person learn more about native plants in their area?

Catzi

How many native plants have been eradicated since colonization? Are they records (oral or written) about plants that we no longer see in the wild? Which native plants do you like the most and why? Historically which plants have been the hardest to find or cultivate? Which plants mean the most to your tribe and why?

Marcelle Slote

what’s the current popular academic stance on utilizing a mixture of science-based knowledge and extensive indigenous teachings together as a cohesive method? in one example, in my province (ontario), many healthcare offerings in urban centres are now starting to implement indigenous and/or non-indigenous spiritual teachings (not only pastoral visits as many patients are not christian; some may not consider themself belonging to any faith at all but may enjoy spiritual services & remedies) in medical settings for patients and many have been reporting positive experiences and outcomes from the mishmash of the two “sides” so to speak! i’ve also seen this approach taken for things like animal conservation, other environmental sciences, etc! i’m curious if the long-popular consensus on “”non-scientific”” (indigenous teachings have much root behind them, but try telling that to old cranky guys at a uni sometimes 😔 smh lol) methods & teachings is starting to wane towards the positive when used in conjunction with scientific knowledge!

Kaffeine

Is there concern about non-indigenous folks growing/using native plants which may have deeper meaning to indigenous peoples? For example: I have Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata) growing in my native plant garden. I’ve always wanted to weave or create art with it (for my own use) but I am worried this may be disrespectful to cultures who recognize it’s spiritual value.

Sarah Carter

In this time of bunk AI-created guides, what resources (preferably written by women and/or indigenous peoples) would you recommend for learning more about and identifying native plants?

Cate Muenker

How long does a plant have to be abundant in a certain area for it to no longer be considered invasive? Is that even possible? Has an invasive plant ever made a positive impact on an ecosystem?

Sarah Carter

I also want to know the answer to question #2! Especially in urban areas.

ScienceInTheArt

I live in the Seattle area. Which native plants are common, easy to identify and make a great tea?

ScienceInTheArt

How can we keep invasive plants, like Himalayan Cane (blackberries) and English Ivy from running over everything and crowding out important native plants???

Chelsea-Victoria Turner

our running joke in our invasive species is 5000 years, because that's when dingos were introduced to Australia (ish) and they are considered native there so.... Also people use the term naturalized differently. we view naturalized as populations that are self sustaining and reproducing in the wild. so ya piggy back question: how does this person define native, naturalized, and invasive. because with plant migration, some plants are crossing state borders which posses the question if these should be considered native now or not and how should they be treated. what does this person think about this debate?

Katie

First Ologies question!! I heard someone interviewed once who described invasive plants as plants who have been removed from their homes and their families - much like native people in the Americas. I'm curious what the Indigenous Photologist thinks of this perspective. What suggestions does she have for creating harmony between native species and invasive ones?

BolognaShoes

I'd love to hear her thoughts on introducing species from different eco-regions to combat (get ahead of?) climate change.

Rosalee de la Foret

Please delete if not allowed, but I think you'd like my podcast Heather. It's all about this! The name of it is "Herbs with Rosalee".

Nicole D-G

What can renters/people without an in-ground garden do to support pollinators and native plants?

Nicole D-G

Are there state-specific resources for finding and caring for native plants?

Todd Peterson

At what point does a naturalized plant become "native" to a region (or does it ever?) Also, what is the farthest a plant has been found outside of its "native" region without human intervention? (I would think they still migrate through animals and wind spreading them.) Should we only be worried about non-native plants that are also invasive? Or are we saying that the "big box" stores are creating monocultures that don't necessarily support natural habitat?

Jadine Lannon

I live on Squamish Nation territory in an area with the colonial name Vancouver. I would love to learn more about the local Indigenous communities' use of native plants and native plant foraging practices, but don't know how to do so and how to do so in a way that is respectful and supportive of local knowledge, culture, and expertise. I am a settler and don't want to appropriate and/or exoticize this knowledge!!

Greg Walloch

Can they speak about plant spirit medicine and some different native plants utilized in that practice?

Pup E. Dog

Do native plants that have been hybridized into cultivars still count as native plants?

Kathryn Knopinski

I see so much about foraging, but is it unethical? Where are all these people foraging? It’s almost never allowed on the public land around me. Is foraging bad for native species? Does it help connect people to the plants around them?

Kaffeine

Many medicinal plants which have been used for centuries are now considered “unsafe” by western science as a result of finding toxic/carcinogenic substances within them. How is this navigated? Have some plants been abandoned? If so, how does this impact the preservation of traditional knowledge and use?

Emily Staw-fur

I'm planning my first garden for next spring. Are there any special considerations I should make regarding local plants? Things to research/make myself aware of?

Emily Staw-fur

How has PFAS impacted foraging and harvesting?

Pavka34

Do we need to take global warming into consideration and find plants that may have been native to our nearby neighbors with warmer climates?

Kaffeine

Best practices for harvesting native plants?

Emily Staw-fur

I have a 2 year old and want to teach her about appreciating the land and also how to respect it. What are some ways I can do this and are there any resources you can recommend to help with this?

Becky Dobbins

Hello! Do you have advice about ornamental (vs edible) gardening? I'm a garden designer, psyched about the "new" ecological horticulture movement and its appreciation of native plants and local wildlife (bugs, etc.). Gardeners are powerful, and we can do a lot of good for the world if we change our gardening habits. I garden in Seattle, and West-Coast natives can be hard to find; the industry focuses on Eastern and Mid-West (prairie) native plants. Also, urban conditions are *so different* from what native plants evolved to thrive in, and climate change brings even more challenges. To be beneficial, how native does native have to be? Native to North America? Native to our regional ecological zone? Native to the flying range of a tiny local sweat bee?

Todd Peterson

This please! My garden is being invaded by something that I think is Honeyvine, which is a relative of milkweed (but without the nice butterfly bonus.) Even when I try to dig it out, it seems I miss a little bit that keeps coming back. I'm planning on using (ugh!) glyphosate and tarps next spring because nothing else seems to work.

Michael Swords

Is there a good rule of thumb you use for harvesting tasty mushrooms? The ones that grow in my backyard are usually not good to eat, but occasionally I see something different. I'll spend hours with our friend google, but I can never find an answer that gives me the confidence to try. Also thoughts on lawn alternatives like moss lawns, or succulents?

Dave Brewer

I live in the same general area as the Oligist (on Duwamish land rather than Squamish). What are good sources for acquiring native plants, and resources for their care? Do you have any good recipes for native plants, specifically Oregon grapes? I have a bunch in my yard but don't know how to use them. Is it worth taking out non-native plants that are established and replacing them with native plants?

Beth Peluse

First time question asker ❤️ Nativars have been becoming more popular it seems lately and can be controversial. Do you have any experience using Nativars in your medicines or products? And do you see a difference?

Average_pi

What interactions are there between invasive species of animals and native plants?

Carol Ruda

I grew some calendula and harvested the flowers for calendula oil, but I’m not sure of its shelf life. Are there any general rules about using natural materials to make oils etc. that should be followed? Thanks and looking forward to this episode!

Liss Timm

When is it honorific and not appropriation to embrace indigenous wisdom?

Maddy B

I have a similar question! How do we define how long something has to live somewhere in order for it to be indigenous to that place? For example, if a species was introduced 100 years ago, is is still considered a native species if it's a part of the ecosystem here? What about 1,000 years ago? And what about the case of ecosystems that have undergone a significant amount of disruption and transformation, changing from one kind of habitat into another entirely different one (ex. a river being dammed up, creating a lake-like ecosystem where there used to be a creek ecosystem). Should land managers consider planting native plants from other kinds of lakes/ponds, even if they had never lived in that ecosystem before?

Verena Runstadler

What makes a plant a crop from somewhere else or an invasive/non native? For instance, crops like potatoes aren’t native to places like Ireland but are they considered invasive /non native?

Daniella Napolitano

Do you have any general (or very specific) advice about planing native plants from seed? I know some have very long dormancy periods or depend on specific weather conditions to germinate which makes it SUPER hard to know if your seeds will eventually grow or if they're duds. I live in a desert region and I want to plant only native plants in my yard to minimize my water usage BUT have never successfully managed to plant anything from seed.

mish the fish

how can white folks use indigenous plants knowledge and practices in a respectful way? is there a respectful way to do that?

Pretty Bird

How do you grow huckleberries!? (seriously, I really want to know. We have cultivated an entirely native plan reveg zone around the house we built and this is the one thing that we cannot seem to grow). Also, how do you give native plants a fighting chance against invasive species?

Isabelle Newman

Are there any plants that are good to use for skin care? Especially acne or swelling?

Isabelle Newman

What are the best natural methods using plants to soothe anxiety and panic?

Isabelle Newman

Are there any native plant species that help attract wild animals to gardens?

Alexandre Catulle

If there was only one plant, which one should be known?

Kleb

How to protect and be just to native communities in relationship to big Pharma exploration (present and past)? There's a long list of over-the-counter medicine that comes from developed nations going into the Amazon forest and stealing knowledge and species to generate profit and never giving anything back. I would assume the same happens to many other native people in the rest of America (continent) and World.

Voxothoth

Are there any lesser known plants out there that have psychoactive properties and are safe to consume?

Ron

What are the best medicinal native plants to grow in Southern California?

Leah Anderson

Can you talk about the debt white settlers (and their descendants) owe to those indigenous peoples who shared their medicinal plants' uses with them? (My Dutch great-grandparents relied on their Lakota neighbors to afford them treatment when family members were ill in the late 1920s and 1930s).

Aurel Chaoul Pelleg

How long does a plant have to be around before it can be called 'Native'?

Hannah McCain

During your time creating a skincare line, how have you managed the debate over "clean/natural" ingredients, and the shift in the market during covid? What do you think about the U.S. regulations over personal care products vs. other countries?

Brenna Pixley

As a foraging instructor, I feel cringy calling out plants as "invasive plants"... Is there a more preferred word? non-native or the like?

Brenna Pixley

What sort of thanks or offerings do you routinely give when harvesting in the wild?

Hudson Ansley

good question! Imo, "native" and "invasive" are pretty much separate, IOW a non-native plant may not be invasive if it does not survive on its own where it is introduced, like Nasturtiums where hard frosts will kill it. But, I assume a native species could never be classed as invasive - aggressive maybe, but not invasive

Hudson Ansley

Do you think nurseries should be prohibited from selling non-native plants, at least invasive ones?

Delaney

do you have recommendations on how to find out what plant species are native to a very specific area more so than just by state or temperate region? and more specifically - are there certain practices we should be following in order to be more ecologically and culturally responsible when planting gardens at home?

Earl of Greymalkin

1) Is anyone pushing town-wide programs to encourage native plant use on private and public property? What if we could makeover a whole town to support local pollinators and whatnot on a scale larger than just someones own house? 2) What's good for making tea out of? Anything with slight stimulant properties or just deliciousness? 3) Has settler urbanization and fragmentation of habitats driven any plants towards extinction? 4) Are there good native plants for use in urban landscaping? 5) What local herbs are good for seasoning? What kind of flavors can you get? 6) Any tips for convincing a local HOA to allow getting rid of grass yards in favor of native and edible plants? 7) What is the diversity in native plants across the continent? Up and down the Pacific coast? Is it ok to plant/grow something local to the adjacent region but not necessarily the exact place you are? 8) What uses do native plants have in crafting/homemaking applications?

Hudson Ansley

What is your stand on having non-native plants in outdoor gardens? As a gardener, I appreciate the native plant movement, but sometimes feel like it goes a little too far (like maybe non-invasive non-natives are ok)

river stone

can you speak to protocol as it relates to settlers harvesting medicine on stolen land? in sinixt, it's very clear but i haven't found much insight into that on coast salish lands and so have been refraining from harvesting what i'm not able to grow myself

river stone

have you tried growing the roots in water first before planting?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

How do we feel about cultivars? There's lots of debate about straight species vs cultivars ecologically, how about culturally as well?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

How can I incorporate indigenously significant plants into larger scale ecological restoration projects respectfully and effectively? I pretty much only consider ecological functions and the goals of the project when designing a planting plan.

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

How do I make sochan (cutleaf coneflower) delicious? It's out of control man! Completely taking over my back garden. I want space for other native plants but to keep the sochan patch thriving.

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

Are there native plants that I as a so white I'm basically translucent person should not grow? Any plant themed cultural appreciation vs appropriation thoughts?

Darren Bush

Is there a native hemp, or is it all just a weed? What's the deal with not growing hemp? It seems like so much better for the environment for paper and other fiber needs.

Darren Bush

AND have you considered Alexis Nicole (@Blackforager) as a guest? She's a riot and wicked smart.

Shayna Sessler

But how do you define the area where something is "native"? In Arkansas, we are getting a lot of a shrub called saltbush (Baccharis halimifolia) that's native to the southeast especially coastal areas, but it's spreading north out of its original range, and crowding out other natives. Is that because of climate change? Or human land use? (It colonizes disturbed areas and roadsides.) A lot of the native plant people I talk to consider it borderline invasive in some areas of the state but native just a little further south. It's confusing!

Matt Ceccato

How can we recognize which plants are native and how to protect them?

Shayna Sessler

Do you have advice on how to kindly influence people to treat native plants and spaces respectfully? I spend a lot of time in urban wild spaces, and I love that people are using these spaces, but I see so much evidence that some of the things they do there are careless and destructive for native species.

Athena Tee

What can I plant right now that will have the biggest benefit for native ecologies? Is it worth it to try to plant American chestnut?

Erika Gonzalez

What are the most cost effective methods to turn your yard into a native plant haven?

Renee dyke

Not a question but a suggestion - an episode on Australian native plants! There’s so much variety across the continent, and the desert plants especially are weird and wonderful and packed full of nutrients. Kakadu plum is starting to be used quite a lot in skincare. Love you and this podcast to the moon and back ❤️

Nicolettaceae

Hello from the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria! As a propagator who works with Australian plants, a lot of our Native Plant seed need smoke treatment to simulate the effects of a bushfire in order to germinate - are there similar/ any interesting or unique treatments that your seed need?

Ari Chan

Are there any traditional ritual uses of catnip ?

Neurotic Gardener

So happy to see someone speak on this topic from the Pacific Northwest! I know this isn't technically a plant but I've been super fascinated by the medicinal aspects of lichen. Is that allowed for this episode? Please say yes.

Nancy Anderson

How long does a plant have to live in a place to be native. Ginkgo was populated on Pangea, then disappeared except for Asia, apparently. I planted a couple in my yard (Western NC) . Is it no longer native since I had to buy and plant it here?

Aurora Cullen

What can a civilian do to combat invasive species?

Pretty Bird

Yes - have you had success? We have also collected bear scat with the berry seeds and still no luck!!

Alex W

LTLFTQA :) The American Chestnut used to be part of the indigenous food forest, can you talk about any efforts to reintroduce it, primary obstacles, and what folks can do to help?

StrawbrryMom 🍓

Why are all the good ethnobotanists in the Pacific Northwest? How do we bring some back to the Northeast??

Adam Bruski

Can you tell us more about efforts to restore plants that were important to native diets and economies - such as wild rice in the lakes and rivers of the Midwest?

Bookworm Erika

Planting native vs. non-native plants in your yard? What is your stance on this deeply-rooted and sometimes emotional debate?

Nicole S

Is the cardboard + mulch method a good way to get rid of grass/invasive? Seems to be a controversial method to use it not to use

Say_Molybdenum

I’ve been planting native plants since I listened to lepidopterology. I have so many questions. 1) If a plant grows near me, but not right where I live, is it still native? 2) If a native species is not doing well, because of say drought, what’s better, a related species or a hybrid? 3) My native plants are often more susceptible to pests. Is that just part of the deal?

Paige McLachlan

Is there any really unusual looking native plants, and if so what’s the funkiest looking one?? The more weird the better. I love that stuff

Gerald Thompson

How do you balance the love of plants and respecting them as living, breathing spirits, with the need to eradicate invasive plants harming an ecosystem?

Sleepy Frog Lauren

How do I find out which invasive plants are in my area? Are there any regional resources you recommend on what to plant and what to get rid of?

Gene Phillips

I would guess that there are non-indigenous plants that have been around for a long time and became naturalized a long time ago. Did any of those get incorporated into the medicines of First Nations people?

Naomi

What are some of the weirdest uses for native plants that you’ve seen?

Keely Chavez

Have you heard of Bow & Arrow brewery here in New Mexico indigenous women owned, using indigenous ingredients including sumac and New Mexican blue corn? Their Proceeds benefit Native non-profits, donating part of its proceeds to Navajo Ethno-Agriculture, a Native American founded and operated non-profit education farm on the Navajo Nation, that retains traditional ecological knowledge while promoting western science with the youth.

Brenna Pixley

There is an episode with her and its VERY goof

Sarah Nyland

Hi I love your name but I’m also confused by it. Why screams?

Sarah Nyland

Fellow arachnophobe here; I’ll do exposure therapy if you do exposure therapy

Sarah Nyland

Heyo, what’s your podcast called?

Sarah Nyland

Hi Ali, I have two dumb questions for the ologist: 1. I like how mushrooms taste when they’re raw more than when they’re cooked. What edible mushrooms are also safe to eat raw? Are any of them safe to eat raw? 2. Do you have a favorite meal or couple of meals sourced from native plants?

Annabelle

What is the ecological importance of a native plant’s genetic origin? For example if I plant a Midwest native in Texas that was grown from seeds collected in Wisconsin, am I doing more harm than good to the ecosystem? Thank you SO MUCH for choosing this topic Alie this is my jam :)

Mary Carol Edwards

My first question. I'm a wholesale grower of native wetland plants in Texas, and I often think about how the plants we are raising for flood control projects and habitat restoration are also the plants that sustained people here for thousands of years. I'm so interested to know an Indigenous person's perspective on this. Thanks for another great topic, and one I can get even more than usually enthusiastic about!

brucatini

What are your thoughts how to balance ecological restoration using native plants with responding to the effects of climate change using introduced plant species?

Hannah Riedl

I live in west/central Montana. What is that stanky smell in the late summer forest? Is it grouse wortleberry rotting? That plant is always present when I smell it, but also present when I don’t smell it! It’s not rotting animal otherwise my dogs would be all over it.

Kimberly R

Yes! This is my goal too. I’m in south Texas, and birds need a pit stop.

SaraSunshine

Oh this episode is my peanut butter AND jam! My question: how do you feel about nativars (cultivated varieties of native species). I belong to a local native plant society chapter, and there's so much DRAMA and disagreement around this topic. Some say that nativars are hardier and more attractive to gardeners, others say they aren't as beneficial to wildlife and fear they could genetically damage wild populations. Where do you stand? P.s. Alie thank you for all you do 💚

Alie Ward

She's THE BEST! Search for our 2021 episode called "Foraging Ecology (EATING WILD PLANTS) with @BlackForager, Alexis Nikole Nelson"

Una T

I recently discovered pawpaw fruits in Portland, OR and that they're native to North America? They seem so tropical it surprises me that they grow in more temperate regions as well. Is this just something I personally hadn't heard of or is there a reason its not all over the place?

Gavin Roach

Female healers and midwives seem to have been in the firing line during the C16 and C17 witch trials in Europe. At the same time, missionaries and colonists across the Atlantic were trying to convert First Peoples to Christianity; I appreciate that FP as a whole were treated entirely shittily by the emissaries of God/European royalty, but were there female healers thereamong who in particular came in for the same sort of treatment?

Sean Legnini

Where is the line between invasive plant species and naturalized plant species? Are there scenarios where native plants are NOT the right call to plant in an area it is native too because it does more harm than good?

Sophia A

What can we do about the grasslands (on an individual level)?!?

Anke Lausch

What about foraging? Is it ok to eat some berries or should we leave them all to our forest friends?

Alyssa Ranker

How can I recognize reputable sources for buying a lot of seeds? What can I look for in the website? I would like to give out native pollinator-friendly seed wedding favors to friends and family, and hand harvesting is not feasible.

joesyourmom

Yessssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dad, is this Leigh Joseph?!?! If so she taught a course at my university in Squamish that my friends arielle and kelcey were in. I was sooooooooo jealous i could make it happen!!! 🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿 We would love to know what plants are associated with / used for health and well being for birthing folks? I would also love to ask if the Squamish nation and nearby nations historically involved mushrooms as a focal point of diet? Or any particular medicinal purposes? I would allllllllso like to ask if there are any indicator species in a temperate rain forest that indicate over all forest health? YESSSSsSsSsS Sooo exited for this one!!!!! Thank you for up lifting indigenous knowledge on this platform and sharing some amazing people dad ward!!! 🌱🍂🍁🍂🌱🍁🍂🍃🌿

The Aerial Mapper

I had terrible acne when I was a teenager and always thought it would have been worse if I grew up in a time before chemical face washes and access to showers but now I wonder if acne is worse in this day and age not only because of the chemicals we put on our face but also the chemicals we eat and the generally unbalanced diet modern day Americans have. Is it possible that chemicals are making acne more difficult to manage? What did indigenous people use to stave off acne? I’m excited for this interview!

Jen Clinton

So excited for this one! 1 - best resources for integrating native plants & indigenous knowledge into western medicine practices? 2 - less a question/more a comment but this is a really timely interview given the newly published evolutionary law (https://as.cornell.edu/news/natures-missing-evolutionary-law-identified): "The new law states that complex natural systems evolve to states of greater patterning, diversity and complexity." I love seeing greenspaces and gardens that focus on native plants, since they so often increase biodiversity, support local pollinators and wlidlife, avoid expanding invasive species, and build climate resiliency!

Darren Bush

Oh, I will. Happy snacking, don't die. BTW, I listened to five ologies driving across I-94 last week. Bless you, my child. You made eastern North Dakota bearable.

Mushroom Screams

Basically there’s a type of mushroom that “screams” if you cook it. I first saw it on Alexis Nikole (@blackforager)’s Instagram. I just thought it was funny

Mushroom Screams

But also secretly to seed chaos and create confusion (it’s a funny name)

Beegeebobo

Monotropa uniflora L. a.k.a Ghost Pipe Is abundant in my area. I can find very little information on it’s reported medicinal properties. Any info on this plant and/or tips for responsible harvesting and preparation?

Jenna Congdon

Can you explain the relationship between native pollinators and native plants? (Do native pollinators only pollinate native plants, or can they get pollen from other plants but it just isn't as good?) And, how do we convince people/local governments that grass is a silly, worthless monoculture and we should all plant native plants in our yards or along roadsides instead? Finally, fave native plant ecosystem?? (Prairie, forest, etc etc?)

Rachel

I am sure this will be answered because all of the interviews I have listened to so far have given ample information but what local resources/ books are recommended for learning to identify our plant cousins?

Owen

I'm not indigenous would it be I be appropriating and encroaching on indigenous culture if I wanted to work in that field? If not how do I become and ethnobotanist? I'm really passionate about plants and their historical and cultural uses and humans relationships to them, whats the best college to attend or degree to get for that line of work?

Amy Johnson

Good resources to look up native plants for your area?

KatCatLynRon

My eyes were recently opened to the difficulties indigenous people face harvesting traditional medicine plants on US federal lands, even lands that ancestrally belong to those people. Can you talk a bit about the difficulties you’ve faced harvesting plants on “federally owned” properties, and if there’s anything the Average Joe Schmoe can help do to make traditional practices more easily accessible to native cultures?

Kathy Clark

Such a timely guest - I'm in the middle of a California Native Plants research project with 3rd grade students about how plants were used by the indigenous peoples of our state. I'm their school librarian, and resources are even more difficult to find that are at an appropriate reading level for my kids. If we're lucky, I find a single sentence that the plant is "used by X tribe for medicine / food. But little about how plants were used in everyday life - rope, thread, arrows, basketry, home items, decoration. How can we foster a community of student learning?

Patrick Duffy

If a plant species is native to your area, but is grown by a grower far away and you order it, does it still count as a native plant?

Jennifer

Are non-native plants better than nothing, if you’re in an urban setting with very little plant life? An example would be areas of Los Angeles that are mostly just concrete and asphalt, but the invasive Tree of Heaven readily grows in tiny inhospitable crevices of soil. However, the tree is hard to manage, can damage building foundations, and is host to the invasive spotted Lanternfly that has begun to spread in the USA. I’m wondering if invasive plant life is a positive or negative force in a setting that has very little green space at all.

Amy Gibson

hilariously, I used to work for a biodiversity museum and got ok with certain photos and exhibits by the end, but definitely had a panic attack when I visited the museum before my interview realizing there were going to be spiders and wondering what I got myself into. But low key my 3 years there was like intro level exposure therapy! Didn't help with live specimens or carry over into other areas of my life though (and just exposed me to research articles about things I'd rather not know ....)

Devin McPeek

Please how can I help protect our native plants in Pittsburgh from the spotted lanternflies 😭😭

Sarah Nyland

Oh wow, a biodiversity museum! That sounds wicked cool. I’m proud of you for at least going through intro exposure therapy lol. I’m kind of doing the same thing; I’ve moved to a more temperate region with more creepy-crawlers sharing my home. I still get the crap scared out of me when I see one though!

Sarah Gabriel

In general, how would you describe your relationship with plants and insects that some people call "non-native" or "invasive"? Are you more inclined to ignore them, battle with them, or accept them and the medicine they might offer? (First time question asker)

Madison Woofter

Yes please! I have some new to my garden plants this year and I don't know how to look up if they're native or invasive.

Madison Woofter

Hi, first time question asker. Are all non-native plants invasive or harmful or are some beneficial and we're glad to have them?

samantha tovey

Hi! I just moved into a new house and am in the midst of planning a native plant makeover of the front lawn (yay!!) and I’m wondering about cultivars! I’ve done lots of research about native plants for my region, but when I go to find them at local nurseries it seems like all that is available are cultivated versions and not a lot of straight wild species. It feels like these wouldn’t be as beneficial, but I wonder if it varies? Are cultivars a no-go? Are some just as good? Thanks!!

Natalie (she, her, hers)

What are some native plants I walk by that I probably don't know I can eat and are okay to harvest? I have the privilage of living on the land of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tseil-Waututh First Nations here in Vancouver, BC.

Mouse Paxton

Do you have a favourite time of year to look for plants? I've always had a particular fondness for greeting the spring ephemerals every year.

Lauren N.

Best way to set up a mini forest or pocket prairie with native plants to my area? Looking for water retention to reduce flooding and to provide habitat for wildlife

Bálint Novák

Everything about the Three Sisters. Have those crops been proven to work better when planting them together? Are they a good combination for recipes and in terms of dietary value? Which nations have been planting them together and why?

Coda Kirshbaum

What are some good resources for finding regional edible plants to forage? How has modern indigenous plant stewardship changed as a result of global warming? How are botanists reacting to extreme seasons?

Jenni Moore Myers

(first time question asker!) How can individual gardeners protect native plants from climate change impacts? If habitat ranges shift or expand (or contract, sniff), do native plant lists follow? What's a good source for that info? Thinking especially about our tree friends.

Sarah Nyland

That’s cool and kinda disturbing! I love it

Jacob Paul

I am in a few native planting groups online which regularly promote the use of glyphosate to remove invasive plants quickly. And where I am, it seems to be the only way to eradicate the invasive honeysuckle. I am curious what our expert’s thoughts are on this topic? What are their preferred methods for removing invasive non-native plants from the landscape?

Virginia Bruce

Is there an ideal radius for what you call native? your state, your ecoregion, your watershed? Some people have said it's not native unless it grows less than a mile from your property. (I've been asking questions all my life but not here before!!)

Lisa P

Recommendations for making medicinal teas including best practices for testing individual reactions to botanicals.

Belle Malley

What are some resources/guides to start foraging native plants in your area? Also, good resources for planting native plants in your yard (specifically if you are renting)?

skollipsism

Ohh, I've been falling down this rabbithole lately! So I don't know of resources that are necessarily at your class's reading level, but lots that do contain that type of ethnobotanical information. Have you checked out Iwígara by Dr. Enrique Salmón? Or Native American Ethnobotany DB? If you start with some specific tribe names in mind, you will also have more luck finding more complete information published directly by people of those tribes, rather than older writings by white anthropologists, which tend to be more cursory.

skollipsism

Calscape is a really great resource for Californians -- if you pick out the right locally-adapted native plants, they can grow in the inhospitable seeming conditions with very little help. Can probably find some native "weed" seeds that would take hold in those crevices.

skollipsism

Popping in with some thoughts as a fellow native plant enthusiast. My understanding is that any type of artificial human selection is inherently going to deprioritize the wild-adapted qualities and ecosystem benefits, but it's always a matter of degree. If you were repopulating a more hands-off area such as a public park, then you'd probably want to use true wild plants for hardiness. Since it's your front yard, the cultivars will probably thrive fine and should still have ecosystem benefits, even if they aren't as perfectly optimized as the true wild plants.

skollipsism

I would guess that it also depends a lot on your use case! I'm container gardening, and I recently picked up a sage that isn't quite native to my locale. The shopkeeper recommended it to me because it'd be more hardy for container growing than the hyper-local natives, which need to tap into the groundwater carried by native local root networks to thrive. So probably best to ask a local specialist for tips.

skollipsism

What's under the ground! Tips on supporting native soil regeneration? (I just learned about water interchange between native root systems that are hundreds of feet wide & deep, and about the importance of drought-adapted native California mycorrhiza, and it's blowing my mind.)

skollipsism

I'd love to hear her thoughts and feelings on her personal approach to the complexity and interconnectedness of Indigenous science, and if she has thoughts on how people of different cultural backgrounds can bring a similar healing approach to their own context, lives, and work. I just started reading Fresh Banana Leaves by Dr. Jessica Hernandez and was struck by her point that where Western scientists chop up research on the modern condition into separate fields -- ecology + sociology + psychology + economics + biology + city planning, etc. -- Indigenous scientists see that these things are all obviously interwoven and need to be considered all together.

Cynthia

Slightly un-related to native plants, have you done a podcast about crop circles? Looking forward to this episode of native plants/cooking of course, but a look at cereologist (advocate of paranormal explanations of crop circles) would be fun too. Currently reading the book “The Perfect Golden Circle”

Lauren Barber

How native plants can be used for natural healing? Thank you!

Emma is Rosey

fellow BC local here! is there something about the bc climate that makes our cannabis so nice? does it grow here naturally or did someone bring it

Violsk

ups- I guess I got here a little late, but will try anyway: in terms of chemical components, are there differences between a plant in its native area and the same plant growing as exotic elsewhere? Are there examples of changes developed due to adaptation? How one can distinguish which plants are native to an area and which ones are not, imagining the latter being exported that much long time ago to be considered "locals"?

HoratioTheToad

Are there any invasive or 'new' plant species that have ended becoming a part of native practices?

T Noz

Alie, joined your Patreon group too late to get a question in for this guest but hope you asked brucatini's question about climate change and the planting of non-native species in the restoration of lands. I've been trying to germinate Coastal Redwoods from the cones of a female I have on my property (situated between two males) in an effort to plant some in the local area that's a bit out of their historical range (i.e. 45 degrees latitude in the Coast Range). Figure that the climate will change much faster than a specie of tree like the Sequoia are going to be able to spread into areas with a future favorable climate before they go extinct.