Prop Culture – Details, episodes & analysis

In Episode 4, Tanya tries to convince Jos to cure a headache with a disgusting espresso-lemon concoction. And she gets worked up about the "fast fashion" of Christmas plants. We also head deep into the jungles of Borneo for a reality check on what it means to be a modern "Plant Hunter."

In this episode:

• Spilling the Plant Tea:

  • Anthurium Confusion: Jos finally clears up the mess between Anthurium 'Darkest Panama', BVEP, and A. antolakii.

  • Viral Drama: The Oxford University Rafflesia discovery video went viral, but who got erased from the narrative? We discuss the backlash regarding the Indonesian researchers.

• Feature: The Poinsettias:

  • Why Poinsettias are the ultimate "fast fashion" of the plant world.

  • The Aztec history behind the name (yes, it involves bird poop).

  • Jos rates new Poinsettia cultivars: From 'Freedom Peppermint' to the 'Country Kilts' (the "Red Thai Constellation" of Poinsettias).

• Interview: Fraser Cook (@BotanicalOtter):

  • Joining us from Borneo, Fraser discusses reclaiming the term "Plant Hunter."

  • "Plant Flexing": Why influencers showing off expensive poached plants is the "Tiger King" energy of horticulture.

  • Fair Trade Plants: Can we get Forest Stewardship Council certification for our houseplants?

  • Overrated/Underrated: Why Anthuriums are oversaturated, and Scindapsus deserves more love.

• Rate That Weird Plant:

  • The "Cage" Hoya (Hoya decipulae).

  • The "3D Printed" Plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis).

  • The "Penile" Bucket Orchid (Coryanthes) and what Jos saw

Mentioned in this episode:

• Guest: Fraser Cook @botanicalotter

• Viral Rafflesia Story: Dr. Chris Thorogood and the Oxford University

• Plant Provenance: https://plantprovenance.com

Connect with us:

• Email: PropCulture@hortikult.com

• Website: hortikult.com/podcast

We are celebrating hitting #4 on the Belgian podcast charts for gardening! In this episode, Jos and Tanya spill the tea on insane market prices, debate plant fast fashion, and chat with a true legend of the Aroid community.

In this episode:

• The $26,000 Plant: We react to the news of a variegated Anthurium luxurians selling for $26k on the Palmstreet app and discuss if investment plants are making a comeback.

• Fast Fashion Plants: Costa Farms dropped the Musa 'Pink Nono' for under $50, crashing the market price. Is this good for hobbyists or bad for sustainability?

• Plant Pet Peeves: We list the things that drive us crazy, including:

  • Nursery tags that just say "Foliage".

  • Putting ice cubes in your orchids.

  • The myth that light brings back lost variegation.

  • The Ultimate Sin: Painted and plastic plants.

• Interview: Bill Rotolante (Silver Krome Gardens): We sit down with the President of the International Aroid Society (IAS) to discuss:

  • The 15-year cycle of plant market booms.

  • Why Adelonema is the most underrated genus.

  • The hilarious story of what happened to the original SKG.com web domain (Spoiler: It involves adult content).

  • A call to support conservation efforts in the face of deforestation.

• Rate That Weird Plant: Jos challenges Tanya to rate the sun-stressed Hoya imbricata (which looks like "raw meat"), the rock-like Ceropegia bosseri, and the geometric Decarya madagascariensis.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Palmstreet App

• Silver Krome Gardens: https://silverkrome.com

• International Aroid Society (IAS): https://aroid.org – Please consider donating to their conservation and research grants!

More links

• Hortikult (⁠⁠https://hortikult.com⁠⁠)
• Plant Provenance (⁠⁠https://plantprovenance.com⁠⁠)
• Instagram (⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/plantprovenance⁠⁠)
• Facebook (⁠⁠https://fb.com/spilltheplanttea⁠⁠)
• Please email us to submit your tea, confessions, or requests and feedback: ⁠⁠propculture@hortikult.com

In this episode, Tanya and Jos talk about the latest news in plants, share a Palm Street App review, and discuss their first Collector's Confession. Then they have a look at three really weird plants, and close out with a deep dive into how platforms like Etsy have opened the floodgates for scammers.

LINKS AND REFERENCES

Latest news

• Pandanus montanus at GUM on Facebook

• FB Group Philodendron Enthusiasts, „Most Hated Philodendron“ thread
• FB Group Philodendron Enthusiasts, „Which Philodendron would you keep?“ thread

Rate that weird plant

1. Papilionanthe Teres ‘Olympic Rings’ Orchid (link)
2. Crassula umbella (link) 
3. Alocasia plumbea ‚Flying Squid‘ (link) 
   

MAIN TOPIC

The 'Rare' Plant Problem: How Etsy & Co.'s Green Boom Sprouted a Crop of Scams

Sources: Sale Samurai - Etsy SEO Analytics & Keyword Search Volume and Spill The Plant Tea 

More links

• Hortikult (⁠https://hortikult.com⁠)
• Plant Provenance (⁠https://plantprovenance.com⁠)
• Instagram (⁠https://www.instagram.com/plantprovenance⁠)
• Facebook (⁠https://fb.com/spilltheplanttea⁠)
• Email us to submit your tea, confessions, or requests and feedback: ⁠propculture@hortikult.com
  

Next episode airs on November 18, 2025.

Welcome to the very first episode of Prop Culture!

Jos and Tanya introduce the podcast's mission: to create a sustainable, connected plant community by sharing news, gossip, science, and the "plant tea".

In this episode:

• Plant Provenance Launch: We soft-launch our flagship project—a platform to document collections, establish lineage, and fight plant misinformation.
• 2026 Trend Drama: We react to an article naming the Alocasia Silver Dragon and the infamous Philodendron Birkin as 2026's "IT" plants.
• Gotta Catch 'Em All: Jos reveals the 13+ "String of..." plants you can collect, including String of Turtles and String of Dolphins.
• Royal Approval: Jos shares the wild story of an orchid hybrid breeder awaiting permission from Buckingham Palace to use King Charles III's name.
• Community Crisis: We talk about the massive Houseplant Lovers Addict Group with almost a million members and an inactive admin.
• Future Plans: A look ahead at segments like Provenance Spotlight, Collectors Confessions, and an interview wish list that includes Monstera Stan and Dr. Block

Links

• Hortikult (https://hortikult.com)
• Plant Provenance (https://plantprovenance.com)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/plantprovenance)
• Facebook (https://fb.com/spilltheplanttea)
• Email us to submit your tea, confessions, or requests and feedback: propculture@hortikult.com

Next episode airs on November 11, 2025.

In this episode, Tanya and Jos explore the cutting edge of plant science and the "wild west" of online plant selling. We start with some major news regarding the EU’s New Genomic Techniques (NGT) and what "designer plants" might look like in the future. We also dive into the drama of Reddit, discussing the audacity of a buyer asking for a free replacement plant four months after purchase—because they were in a coma.

Jos shares his "hard way" lessons from launching a plant shop, and we discuss the heartbreaking news about Liverpool’s struggling botanical collection. Finally, we reveal the complex history behind the legendary Anthurium ‘Ace of Spades’ and ‘Queen of Hearts’ before rating a new batch of "Weird Plants"—one of which Tanya can only describe as "Minecraft-esque" and phallic.

Key Topics:

• The transition to Substack and leaving Spotify.
• CRISPR and NGT: Are we ready for drought-resistant indoor plants?.
• Liability and shipping: Who is responsible when a plant arrives in "shreds"?.
• The true origin of ‘Ace of Spades’ and the TC "contamination" that created ‘Queen of Hearts’.
• Weird Plant Ratings: Solanum uleanum, Bulbine bruynsii, and the "fugly" Cynanchum marnierianum.

After a chaotic start involving a "brain cell frying" recording mishap, Tanya and Jos are back for the second episode of Season 2. We dive into the legacy of the late orchid legend Paul Gripp, discuss the evolution of "rare" versus "collector" plants, and Tanya makes a confession about a certain "betrayal" regarding the IAS Tropical Plant Expo.

In the second half of our interview with Dr. Tom Croat, we explore the mysteries of wild hybridization, the "Aroid Bubble," and Tom’s advice for the next generation of botanists.

To wrap things up, Jos tests Tanya’s gag reflex with a round of "Weird Plants"—featuring a succulent you can eat and a Magnolia fruit that Tanya describes as a "biological abomination".

In this episode, we discuss:

• In Memoriam: The life and work of "The Last Great Orchid Explorer," Paul Gripp.
• Terminology: Why we’re ditching "rare" for "Collectors Plants".
• Market Trends: Buying plants in 2026—from car park "drug deals" to Palm Street live streams.
• Science with Dr. Tom Croat: Why hybrids are rare in the wild and why an Anthurium can be identified by its leaves alone.
• Rate That Weird Plant

Connect with us:

• Email: PropCulture@hortikult.com
• Website: hortikult.com
• Substack: hortikult.substack.com
• YouTube: @prop.culture

Happy New Year and Welcome to Season 2!

We made it back. Tanya is (mostly) healthy, Jos is caffeinated, and we are starting 2026 with a guest we’ve been dreaming of hosting since Day 1: Dr. Thomas Croat.

The Man Behind the Name

You likely know Dr. Croat as the “Godfather of Aroids”—the man who has described over 1,300 species and collected more plants than probably anyone in history. But in Episode 1 of Season 2, we got to hear the stories before the fame. He told us about his early adventures sailing from St. Thomas to South America on a sloop, a journey he chronicled in his memoir Under the Spinnaker. Lacking the equipment to dry and press plants, he spent months just observing—visiting thousands of habitats and learning Spanish by immersion on the back of trucks and trains. It’s a fascinating look at how a young botanist built the foundation for a legendary career.

Also:

Can Moss Survive Space? In our news segment, we discussed a mind-blowing study from Science News. Scientists attached spores of the moss Physcomitrium patens to the outside of the International Space Station. The conditions: Vacuum of space, intense UV radiation, extreme freeze/thaw cycles. The result: After 9 months, 86% of the spores came back to life and grew. The takeaway: If we ever move to Mars, this moss is definitely coming with us.

Plus: Jos breaks down the history of the Philodendron spiritus sancti bubble. Is it still the “Holy Grail” now that you can buy it in a tissue culture bag?

Rate That Weird Plant

We close each episode with a segment we call “Rate That Weird Plant”. Check this episode’s weird plants below.

Eulychnia castanea f. Spiralis Posted on Reddit by Planta_Samantha.

Dendrobium wassellii Posted on Houzz by malteseproverb.

Cynomorium coccineum Posted on Science Photo Gallery by Bob Gibbons.

Episode 9: A Variegated State of Mind (Season Finale)

It is the last episode of the year! We are wrapping up the season with a packed episode, spilling some plant tea, diving deep into the science of variegation, and rating some truly bizarre plants.

We start by debunking a questionable article about "windowless rooms" (sorry, Enid!) and clearing up the confusion behind the mysterious "Philodendron 69586" floating around the internet. Then, we shine our Provenance Spotlight on a collector favorite: Philodendron 'Dean McDowell'.

Finally, we get into our main topic: Variegation. Why does it happen? What is the difference between chimeral and genetic variegation? And why was 2020 the "Variegation Gold Rush"?

Thank you to all our listeners for an amazing year. We will see you on January 6th for Season 2!

In this episode, we cover:

• ☕ Spilling the Plant Tea:

  The Windowless Room Myth: Discussing a "clickbait" article claiming plants flourish in windowless rooms (and why Enid Offolter was mentioned in it).

  The Number Game: Solving the mystery of Philodendron "69586"—it is actually a typo for Philodendron bettewaterbury (or related to Croat's accession numbers).

• 🔦 Provenance Spotlight: Philodendron 'Dean McDowell'

  A hybrid of P. pastazanum x P. gloriosum created by John Banta in 1988.

  The touching story behind the name (honoring a friend lost to the AIDS epidemic).

  A tribute to John Banta (1932–2021), a prolific hybridizer who also worked on seedless raspberries and Anthurium crosses.

• 🎨 Deep Dive: A Variegated State of Mind

  The Science: How cell mutations in the meristem cause variegation.

  The Types: Explaining Genetic (stable), Chimeral (unstable), Viral, and Induced variegation (remember Pink Congo?).

  The Purpose: Hypotheses on why nature produces variegation (herbivore deterrence vs. camouflage).

• 🏆 Rate That Weird Plant:

  Lophophora diffusa (False Peyote): A cactus that looks like a "green ball of clay" or... a pimple? https://www.reddit.com/r/BotanicalPorn/comments/1pnyc56/lophophora_diffusa/

  Ravenala madagascariensis (Traveler’s Palm): Famous for its stunning, electric-blue seeds. https://www.reddit.com/r/plants/comments/1pownid/strange_blue_fibers_in_this_seed_pod_ive_never/

  Microcoelia aphylla: A leafless orchid that photosynthesizes through its roots. https://www.facebook.com/groups/52597049839/?multi_permalinks=10162133715749840

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Plants: Philodendron 'Dean McDowell', Philodendron bettewaterbury, Monstera 'Thai Constellation', Lophophora diffusa.

  People: John Banta, Enid Offolter, Fabio Silva (Listener Shoutout!).

Connect with us:

Email | Website | Reddit

Next Episode: We return January 6th with a huge interview!

In Episode 08, Jos and Tanya brave the winter blues (and Christmas trees) to tackle the heavy hitters: Is the plant community finally "woke" yet?

We discuss the 2024 vote by 100 scientists to remove racial slurs from Latin names and why common names like "Wandering Dude" might only be a superficial fix.

We are also joined by the wonderful Memo (aka Houseplanty Goodness) to discuss "Aroid Fatigue," his dream of a geothermal greenhouse, and why he strips naked after visiting his allotment.

In this episode:

Spilling the Tea (News):

• Job Alert: The International Aroid Society (IAS) is looking for new editors for their scientific journal, Aroideana.
• The "Most Hated" Plants: A poll reveals the top 10 plants collectors will never buy again. Number 1 is Calathea (obviously), but Number 2 might surprise you.
• New Cultivar Alert: Meet the Monstera 'Bulbasaur', a stable, mint-variegated sport discovered by Yang Liu.

Deep Dive: What’s in a Name?

• The Madrid Vote: In July 2024, the International Botanical Congress voted (narrowly!) to change 200+ scientific names containing the racial slur caffra.
• Common Names: Discussing Avery Rowe’s article on Tradescantia and the history behind the name "Wandering Jew".

Interview: Memo (Houseplanty Goodness):

• Aroid Fatigue: Why YouTube audiences are asking for anything but another Philodendron.
• Ethical Botany: Why we need to decolonize plant names and respect local indigenous history.
• Green Dreams: Memo’s plan for a Victorian-era-style greenhouse powered by geothermal energy.

Rate That Weird Plant:

• Euphorbia obesa: The "Baseball Plant" that looks like a mint-colored stress ball.
• Trachyandra tortilis: A succulent that looks like ribbon pasta (or lasagna noodles).
• Euphorbia tirucalli 'Fire Sticks': The "naked lady" plant with toxic latex that can cause blindness.

Mentioned in this episode:

• International Botanical Congress, 2024, Madrid: Link
• PotMonsterGarden: Creator of Monstera Bulbasaur
• Guest: Memo (Houseplanty Goodness and @TrojanKing9)

• Article: Avery Rowe on Tradescantia names.

• Plant Provenance: https://plantprovenance.com

Connect with us:

• Email: PropCulture@hortikult.com
• Website: https://hortikult.com/podcast
• Reddit: Spill The Plant Tea

In Episode 07, Tanya is pre-recording before traveling back to Czechia and braving the frozen north (Reykjavik), and Jos is embracing his inner Grinch. We dive deep into the science, myths, and market impact of Tissue Culture—is it saving the hobby or ruining it? Plus, we rate a plant that literally looks like... well, lips.

In this episode:

Spilling the Tea (News):

• Holiday Cactus Confusion: Do you have a Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter Cactus? Jos explains the difference (and blames capitalism).
• 2025 Trend Watch: An article claims Hoya and Rare Cacti are the "new" IT plants. We react (and spot the "mealybug" in the room).
• Book Club: Tanya recommends "The Plant Book" by Tammy Huynh—a perfect last-minute gift for the plant nerd in your life.

Feature: The Truth About Tissue Culture (TC):

The Science: How we clone plants from a single piece of tissue (and why "shoots before roots" matters).

The Market Impact: From the $1,000 Monstera obliqua Peru crash to mass-market availability.

The Stigma: Are TC plants weaker? Does it kill the excitement of collecting? Tanya and Jos debate the "authenticity" of lab-grown vs. seed-grown.

Genetic Anomalies: Why mutations like the Monstera 'Thai Constellation' are actually TC's "happy accidents."

Rate That Weird Plant:

• Selenicereus anthonyanus: The dragon fruit plant that actually looks like a "Fishbone" Cactus relative.
• Palicourea elata: The infamous "Hooker's Lips" (or Labios de Puta)—nature is getting provocative.
• Monotropa humile: The ghostly white "Corpse Plant" that gets a perfect 10/10 weirdness score.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Book: "The Plant Book" by Tammy Huynh
• Video: Kaylee Ellen: "What Really Happened to Rare Plants"
• Plant Provenance: https://plantprovenance.com

Connect with us:

• Email: PropCulture@hortikult.com
• Website: https://hortikult.com
• Facebook Group: Spill The Plant Tea