Botanic Garden Audio trail

The celebrated author shares his passion for the Botanic Garden and reads from the end of the His Dark Materials trilogy.

The plant growing on the island in the lower garden pond.

The new Merton borders - the latest Botanic Garden experiment.

The palm that's not a palm!

A cactus and a euphorbia - an example of convergent evolution.

The rainforest and the desert in the middle of the city of Oxford.

A pink flowered plant that provides a life-saving anti-cancer drug.

The most important tree in the garden - the chocolate giving tree.

How the venus fly trap catches its food.

Lili talks about the water lilies she looks after every day.

Hear about JRR Tolkiens favourite tree!

How photosynthesis explains why this tree has grown so large.

A plant growing on a tree! Emma describes how it comes to be growing on this tree.

No-one knew this tree still existed until the middle of the last century - hear about its name and its discovery.

At its best in May when it is covered in white handkerchiefs. Hear why the tree makes them.

An ancient species that saw the dinosaurs come and go!

The oldest tree in the Botanic Garden is now an important source of an anti-cancer medicine.

The deciduous magnolia and the evergreen magnolia - disadvantages and advantages of two different ways to be a plant.

An explanation of the features of the plant labels at the Botanic Garden.

An introduction to the Botanic Garden by the Director, Timothy Walker.

Botanic Garden Audio trail: Recent Episodes