This versus episode kicks off with a discussion about creating a safe space on social media for respectful, loving communication about everything plants and gardens, then digresses into a discussion of Latin pronunciations in botanical, liturgical, and classical settings. When we make it to the Plant Face-Off, Erin leads with peace lily, or Spathiphyllum spp. She explains why some plants in the Spathiphyllum genus have Big Spadix Energy, then explores the fascinating physical mechanism that makes biting a peace lily a bad idea. She explains how to approximate the conditions of its home in the understory of tropical rainforests and how to treat problems, then digs into why she and others are so darned allergic to its pollen. Finally, Erin and Sean dissect the infamous NASA Clean Air Study that still prompts publications to insist that peace lilies can purify your air of household toxins.In the second half of the episode, Sean confidently takes the stage to predict a win for his favourite plants, Phalaenopsis orchids, also known as moon orchids or moth orchids (for their moth-like flowers). He explains how they grow hanging in the air, attached to trees or stones, and describes the various options for propagating them. Next he covers such controversial topics as what media to grow orchids in, how to water them, and where to position them for the best kind of light. As someone who has rehabilitated many a box-store orchid, he is well equipped with advice on helping them re-bloom and thrive. Sean closes his segment with some history and surprising medical uses for Phalaenopsis.Who won the Plant Face-Off? Was it Erin with peace lilies or Sean with Phalaenopsis orchids? You decide! Send your vote by email or on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook with the hashtag #PAWFaceOff.Instagram: @plantsalwayswinpodcast Facebook: plantsalwayswinpodcast TikTok: @plantsalwayswinpodcast Website: www.plantsalwayswin.com Shout-Outs: Southern Ontario Orchid Society: https://soos.ca/Central Ontario Orchid Society: http://coos.ca/ Knotmoth Micro Crochet: https://www.instagram.com/knotmoth/ CreditsWebsite Design and Illustration by Sophia AlladinIntro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-playsLicense code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PHCitationsPhalaenopsis Culture SheetPhalaenopsis Culture Sheet - American Orchid Society. (n.d.). https://www.aos.org/orchid-care/care-sheets/phalaenopsis-culture-sheet The Phalaenopsis group on Missouri Botanical Garden’s Plant FinderPhalaenopsis (group). (n.d.). Missouri Botanical Garden. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=264608&isprofile=1&basic=phalaenopsis An updated version of a 1956 article in the American Orchid Society Bulletin Phalaenopsis, the Genus - Beginner’s Handbook, XXIII. (n.d.). American Orchid Society. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://www.aos.org/orchid-care/orchid-care-and-culture-sheets/phalaenopsis-culture-sheet/phalaenopsis-the-genus Research into medical uses for commercial orchid waste Minh, T., Khang, D., Tuyen, P., Minh, L., Anh, L., Quan, N., Ha, P., Quan, N., Toan, N., Elzaawely, A., & Xuan, T. (2016). Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of phalaenopsis orchid hybrids. Antioxidants, 5(3), 31. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox5030031 The history of orchidsHill, E. (2021, March 26). The history of orchids. Love Orchids. https://www.loveorchids.co.uk/blogs/home/four-things-about-the-history-of-orchids-you-might-not-know?srsltid=AfmBOooOu7XYkq-RGQmlx8YUl1JBoj50X_3xPH1wgEjo3CmOf20X1hMR Peace lilies’ relatives: plants in the Araceae familyGrant, B. L. (2021, August 11). Arum plant information: Learn about common varieties of arum. Gardening Know How. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/arum-plant-information.htmInformation about spathes and spadixesEllis, M. E. (2021, November 29). What is a spathe: Learn about the spathe and spadix in plants. Gardening Know How. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/what-is-a-spathe.htm Spathiphyllum overview, including pests and diseasesSpathiphyllum (Peace lily, Spathe flower, White sails) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/spathiphyllum/#poison Treating pests and diseases of Spathiphyllum Spengler, T. (2021, May 29). Diseases in spathiphyllum: Tips on treating peace lily diseases. Gardening Know How. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/peace-lily/diseases-spathiphyllum-tips-treating-peace-lily-diseases.htm How calcium oxalate crystals in peace lily leaves cause reactions Wismer, T. (2015). Feline toxins. August’s Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine, 7, 791–798. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-323-22652-3.00079-7 Spathiphyllum as an unusually bad trigger for allergies among houseplantsegás, V. H., Duch, G. D., García, V. G., De La Losa, F. P., Fernández, M. C., Velandia, D. G., & Jané, P. G. (2019). Allergy to Spathiphyllum wallisii, an Indoor Allergen. Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology, 29(6), 453–454. https://doi.org/10.18176/jiaci.0419 Debunking popular NASA Clean Air Study interpretationsEditorial Staff. (2017, February 15). Getting into the Weeds: Do Houseplants Really Improve Air Quality? American Lung Association. https://www.lung.org/blog/do-houseplants-really-improve-air-quality#:~:text=This%20NASA%20study%20showed%20that,long%20history%20of%20health%20impacts NASA’s own account of the Clean Air studyPlants clean air and water for indoor environments. (2007). NASA Spinoff. https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2007/ps_3.html A deeper dive into the study and how houseplants really benefit your homeRussel, E. M. (2020, September 7). Debunked: Despite NASA clean air study claims, houseplants don’t effectively purify air. Clean Air Gardening. https://www.cleanairgardening.com/do-houseplants-clean-air/ Timestamps00:57 Intro01:13 What’s Growing On?01:15 Opening our Discord to the Gardening World2:45 Booking Some Public Gigs04:20 The Plant Face-Off04:43 Face-Off Results for Milkweed vs. Beardtongue05:30 Pronouncing Latin: A Context Sport07:05 Erin’s Plant: Peace Lily07:22The Arum Family (Araceae)08:20 Spathes and Spadixes09:02 Corpse Flower Amorphophallus titanum: Big Spadix Energy11:05 Peace Lily’s Not-so-Peaceful Toxic Reaction14:09 Caring for your Peace Lily19:52 Peace Lily Allergies21:55 The Infamous NASA Clean Air Study31:55 Sean’s Plant: Phalaenopsis Orchid33:13 Orchid Taxonomy (and What’s Taxonomy, Anyway?)33:06 Orchid Origins36:33 Epiphytes on Trees and Lithophytes on Rocks37:22 Three Ways to Propagate an Orchid40:22 What to Grow your Orchid In42:59 How to Have a Happy Orchid48:50 Orchid Pests, Pestilence, and Stress50:00 History Time, Featuring Orchid Delirium53:30 Orchids in Medical Research55:09 Shout-Outs55:13 Ontario Orchid Societies55:37 Knotmoth Micro Crochet57:17 Contact Us and Outro
