Show Notes
Attention true crime junkies, you’re about to learn about one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in the botanical world… as we continue to uncover the global phenomenon of stealing rare and exotic plants.
In this episode you'll hear from Richard Barley, Director of Gardens at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London, about the eerie disappearance of the African water lily - one of Earth’s rarest plants stolen from the biggest botanic garden in the world.
You'll also hear from John Siemon, Director of Horticulture and Living collections at Botanic Gardens of Sydney, about why plant theft is a massive problem plaguing Botanic Gardens. John recalls some of the desperate measures avid plant collectors have resorted to over the years and explains why these green-fingered thieves are threatening the survival of many endangered species.
Order our book: What the Flora?
Blending science, true crime and history, What the Flora? offers a fresh perspective on the ingenuity and wonders of the plant kingdom.
You’ll encounter trees that survived atomic blasts and deadly species that have shaped medicine and myth, discover the mind-bending secrets of plant intelligence and learn how pollen can be used to crack a murder case.
The print copy is available to order from book retailers across Australia. Find out more here. If you live overseas, you can enjoy What the Flora? on Audible and other audiobook platforms.
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Roughly 70% of all Australian species of plants, animals, fungi and other organisms have yet to be discovered, named and classified.