Of Swallow-Wort & Celandine

Swallow-wort. A vine with beautiful, star-shaped flowers. It tricks insects into laying eggs on its leaves. When the eggs hatch, the larvae eat the leaves—and die with a one hundred percent mortality rate.

Lesser celandine. A plant with bright, glossy, yellow flowers. It blooms early in the spring, outcompeting other plants only to offer little nutritional value to insects fresh out of hibernation. It then dies and leaves a bare patch of ground for other harmful plants to inhabit.

Both these plants are invasive species. They not only contribute to the suffering of pollinator insects, they do the same to the native plants those pollinators and other creatures depend on. Entire ecosystems thus suffer.

Enter the world of Dr. Shikha Singh, biologist and coordinator of the Jackson, Lenawee and Washtenaw Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area.

In our latest podcast episode on pollinators, Singh talks about the great relationship between pollinators and ecosystems, the toxic relationships invasive species create, and Tim Horton’s, the best coffee and donut chain.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts

Learn more about Singh’s organization here. Or find an invasive species group near you here.

This episode is part of a pollinator miniseries produced in partnership with NRDC. Learn about its latest pollinator work in Michigan here.

Common Groundwater is hosted by the Michigan Environmental Council and Beau Brockett Jr.

Our music is “The Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi, arranged by Derek Zhang and performed by Taj Wallace.

Our series is sponsored by Kalsec, a global ingredient company headquartered in Kalamazoo that meets the highest recognized social and environmental standards through its B Corps certification.