For the Love of Rhododendron

Faith in a seed

In this episode we meet Emily Ellingson, Plant Collections Curator at Polly Hill Arboretum. We learn how Emily’s own career was inspired by Arboretum founder Polly Hill,

From distraction to discovery

In this episode we meet Dr. Mary Jane Epps, a scientist at the Center for Urban Habitats in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dr. Epps tells us how a moment of distraction while

A postcard is a small thing

In this episode we meet Dr. Anna Asatryan, a Senior Researcher at the National Academy of Sciences in Armenia focused on the documentation and conservation of Armenia’s r

Yogurt for your plants

In this episode we meet Dr. Jean Burns and PhD candidate Yu Liu to learn about their research program focused on the science of gardening, they describe their recent find

A bit of paradise

In this episode we meet Tom Clarke, Head Gardener at the world-renowned Exbury Gardens, we learn how Exbury founder, the late Lionel de Rothschild, turned to gardening am

As soon as the sunrays hit

In this episode Juliana and Ryan meet Dr. Shweta Basnett, who shares stories from her PhD work on the pollination biology of Rhododendron in Sikkim Himalaya. We learn how

We named the trees

In this episode Christina and Connor tell the story of Leslie Hancock, a pioneer in Canadian Rhododendron breeding and horticulture and founder of the Hancock Woodlands i

Expect blooms anytime

In this episode we meet Don Graham, a retired emergency medicine doctor, a long-time member of the Portland Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society, and a Rhododendr

What keeps me up at night

In this episode we meet our intrepid podcast narrator, that’s right you get to meet me, Dr. Juliana Medeiros. I got together with my fellow podcast hosts Connor and Chris

Shake the world gently

In this episode we meet Mike Stewart, President of the Van Veen Heritage Garden in Portland Oregon. We learn how this newly formed non-profit organization is carrying on

Finding new mountains

In this episode we meet Steve Hootman, Executive Director and Curator of the Rhododendron Species Foundation and Botanical Garden, located in Federal Way, Washington. We

The pitch of their wingbeats

In today’s episode we meet Dr. Robbie Hart, a researcher at the William L. Brown Center of the Missouri Botanical Garden. We learn how hillsides filled with Rhododendron

You can add your own twist

In this episode we meet Rhododendron hybridizer and college professor, Paul Chafe, we learn how a memorable brush with giant Rhododendrons led him to hybridizing, how he'

Where kindred spirits convene

In this episode we meet some of the organizers and speakers from the upcoming American Rhododendron Society Fall Convention, they share their fascinating Rhododendron ori

A treasure-trove of experiences

In this episode we learn about Ryan Fuller’s research on Rhododendron evolution in the Hengduan Mountains of China, how this magical place spawned Ryan’s polyploidy probl

The genome was the puzzle

In this episode, Ryan and Juliana meet with Dr. Valerie Soza to learn about the Rhododendron williamsianum genome sequencing project, how a visionary researcher led a hug

There wasn't a map

In this episode, we learn about the podcast production team, how random twists and turns in the road of life led them to discover their love of Rhododendron, and their ho