Prop Culture S02E22: Anthurium Papa, Lust Lists & the $40K Monstera Side-Eye

Brian Lagunas, aka Anthurium Papa, joins Tanya and Jos for an episode full of heart and a little chaos.

News: The Crop Trust’s report on edible aroids and why collectors might be part of the backup plan; Costa Rica paying landowners to keep forests standing, and measuring recovery by sound; and the Desert Botanical Garden’s rescue center for confiscated plants.

Interview: Brian’s path from a fateful Anthurium warocqueanum encounter at Ecuagenera to breeding within a year, his friendship with legendary grower Barry Schwarz, meeting Dr. Tom Croat at our Miami barbecue, why water quality is “crucial,” and how he set out to kick down the gates of a gatekept hobby.

Hot take: Should breeders give a whole seed batch one name? Brian says no. Jos disagrees, mostly.

Hot or Nah: A Hoya with fuzzy black new leaves, an inappropriately shaped Abelmoschus, and the $40,000 Monstera everyone side-eyed in Miami.

Rate That Weird Plant: Brunsvigia orientalis, Utricularia dunlopii, and Paronychia erecta.

Follow Brian: @anthuriumpapa on Instagram and YouTube.

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