Stephen A. Harris

Dr. Stephen A. Harris, the Druce Curator at the University of Oxford, takes listeners on a captivating journey through history with fifty pivotal plants that have shaped human civilization. He discusses how plants like the sugar beet influenced economies during the Napoleonic Wars and debunks myths about bananas being trees. The conversation reveals the cultural and social impacts of flora, from medicinal uses to agricultural innovations. Harris highlights the importance of herbarium collections for understanding plant diversity and the often-overlooked roles plants play in our daily lives.