Saguaro Cactus: A Desert Sentinel’s Prickly Plight
The saguaro cactus has evolved to endure dry days and high temperatures, but even this resilient plant struggles to cope with the effects of climate change.
Quintessential Resilience: The Breadfruit in the Caribbean
The breadfruit tree has coexisted with humans for more than three thousand years. Its future may depend on how strong of an ally humans can become to it.
Rosemary: The Herb of Ritual and Remembrance
From ancient Egypt to today, the scent of rosemary has promised comfort, joy, and even immortality.
Cloves: The Spice that Enriched Empires
Behind one humble spice lies a complex history of empires and profit, commodities and globalization.
Alfalfa: A Crop that Feeds Our Food
In 2023, American farmers grew more than 9 million acres of alfalfa. What makes this legume hay so special?
Saffron: The Story of the World’s Most Expensive Spice
Appearing in the written record as early as 2300 BCE, saffron can be traced in foodways around the globe, despite the finicky nature of its harvest.
Quinoa: Rise of an Andean Superfood
Once considered a minor crop for Indigenous communities, quinoa’s journey to worldwide stardom was centuries in the making.
Plant of the Month: Indigo
The cultivation of this plant for its cherished blue dye tells the story of exploitative agricultural practices—and, hopefully, its reversal.
Plant of the Month: Hibiscus
Nearly synonymous with the global tropics and subtropics, hibiscus symbolizes the Caribbean’s transnational past, present, and future.
Plant of the Month: Hops
As the craft beer industry reckons with its oppressive past, it may be time to re-examine the complicated history (and present) of hops in the United States