29 August 2020 | New Scientist | 35Wong works to overcome this
problem, ranging far and wide,
examining everything from the
workings of fungi to miracle
plant cures to the illegal trade in
endangered plants. He tells some
compelling tales. In one episode,
there is a “true crime” feel as it sets
out to explore the high-profile death
of Lakhvinder Cheema after eating
a curry in 2009, where the cause
of death – a poisonous plant called
aconite, or wolfsbane – was
confirmed by Kew scientists.
Wong’s rapport with scientists,
horticulturalists and assorted other
guests also makes entertaining
listening as they “geek out”, as he
puts it, about the details of the
species they discuss. It is hard not
to get caught up in their enthusiasm
and passion as they show us the
big picture and importance of such
organisms – and help us overcome
a little of our plant blindness.
The challenge, though, is to
shift the mainstream, where the
blindness shows up everywhere,
from the limited prosecution of
plant thieves versus those who steal
animals to the recent discovery thatpsilocybin – the hallucinogenic
chemical found inside magic
mushrooms – can treat depression
where other treatments have failed.
Kew and other global gardens
do their bit by preserving plant and
fungi biodiversity, helping species
to thrive and publicising the
important work that goes on there.
But without people engaging with
the collections for themselves, all
that wonderful research, as well
as Kew’s huge archives, may go
largely unnoticed.
“We need to really open the door
for visitors so they can get a glimpse
into the story of any plant and why
it is interesting and important,”
says Richard Barley, Kew’s director
of horticulture, learning and
operations, in one episode.
“Perhaps when we have a culture
where people are educated on the
crucial role plants play, we’ll be able
to better protect life on Earth,”
says Wong. This is Unearthed’s
big shtick. If you have never really
appreciated the importance to our
world of plants and fungi before,
this podcast is here to convince
you why you should. ❚Podcast
Unearthed: Mysteries
from an unseen world
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
MY FIRST trip to London’s Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, was
spectacular. I set out on an
unusually mild February day
to visit this year’s annual orchid
festival, which was celebrating
the 4000-plus specimens that
grow in Indonesia.
Aside from the delightful orchids,
Kew and its out of London home,
Wakehurst in West Sussex, together
have more than 27,000 taxa of
living plants, around 8.3 million
specimens in its herbarium and
fungarium, and more than
40,000 species in its seed bank.
Unsurprisingly, this sheer diversity
ranks Kew’s collection top in
the world. I left with a sense of
amazement and fresh appreciation
for plants.
In its new podcast, Unearthed:
Mysteries from an unseen world,
Kew builds on this awe, using real
stories to show why the plants and
fungi it houses are far more than
beautiful distractions. Hosted by
botanist and New Scientist
columnist James Wong, each
episode delves into the events that
have been shaped by botanical or
mycological discoveries and the
species at the heart of them.
It does something more, too.
The four episodes I listened to
(there are six in the first series)
make a powerful argument that the
future of plants and fungi is made
more uncertain by a kind of “plant
blindness”, which derives from a
human tendency to feel more
connected to animals than to plants.
Kew’s 2020 orchid
festival showed species
from Indonesia JEF
F^ E
DEN/RBGKEWWake up to plant power
From murder to magic mushrooms, Kew’s first podcast challenges
us all to appreciate the role plants play in our world, says Gege Li
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