416: Plant Folklore (with Dr. Vikram Baliga, The Plant Professor)

Trees of life, magical trees, immortal trees! We’re joined by horticulture expert and podcast extraordinaire, Dr. Vikram Baliga, as he walks us through the fascinating world of plants and their importance in mythology and folklore!   Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, car accidents, colonialism, and misogyny.     Guest Dr. Vikram Baliga is a Horticulture Lecturer at Texas Tech University. He hosts the Planthropology podcast, where he interviews amazing people from the world of botany, and has a popular account on TikTok called ThePlantProf. He is also the author of Plants to the Rescue!   Panelists Discussed: - Discussant- Luhui Whitebear (Assistant Professor & Coordinator, Indigenous Studies; Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation, Oregon State University) - Panelist- Chance White Eyes (Director of Tribal Relations; Oneida of Wisconsin; Oregon State University) - Panelist- Renea Perry (Executive Director, Portland All Nations Canoe Family) - Panelist- Modesta Minthorn (Executive Director of Tribal Relations, Portland State University) - Panelist- Kenwanicahee Kravitz (Native Nations Liaison; Pit River and Wintu; Southern Oregon University)   Housekeeping - Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends Finch, a self-care app. - Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books - Call to Action: Attach Your Résumé is a brand-new show from Multitude that interviews online creators about how their jobs work and how they got there. Subscribe now in your podcast app! - Submit Your Urban Legends Audio: Call us! 617-420-2344   Sponsors - Our brand new MERCH STORE! spiritspodcast.com/merch  - Marley Spoon: For up to 25 free meals, head to MarleySpoon.com/SPIRITS and use code SPIRITS Find Us Online - Website & Transcripts: spiritspodcast.com - Patreon: patreon.com/spiritspodcast - Merch: spiritspodcast.com/merch - Instagram: instagram.com/spiritspodcast - Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/spiritspodcast.com - Twitter: twitter.com/spiritspodcast - Tumblr: spiritspodcast.tumblr.com - Goodreads: goodreads.com/group/show/205387   Cast & Crew - Co-Hosts: Julia Schifini and Amanda McLoughlin - Editor: Bren Frederick - Music: Brandon Grugle, based on "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod - Artwork: Allyson Wakeman - Multitude: multitude.productions   About Us Spirits is a boozy podcast about mythology, legends, and folklore. Every episode, co-hosts Julia and Amanda mix a drink and discuss a new story or character from a wide range of places, eras, and cultures. Learn brand-new stories and enjoy retellings of your favorite myths, served over ice every week, on Spirits.