Today’s guest on Grow! with Katie, is none other than THE Crazy Botanist, Derek Haynes.

Derek’s love for all things plants came at a young age, and he carried that into adulthood, graduating from North Carolina State with Bachelors of Plant Biology.

Derek is also involved in the Plant Daddy Hangouts, which focus on celebrating and connecting those at the intersections of Blackness, masculinity & plant love.

He is also part of the podcast The Plant Kiki! Check that out here.

Derek has a saying, “One plant does not make a forest.” This means that we need to understand that there is so much diversity in every ecosystem. We need to come together and acknowledge and appreciate each piece of the puzzle that makes up that ecosystem.

On today’s show we talked about some of Derek’s favorite plants to grow, we talked about his experience with growing luffa, and he reminded us about the importance of diversity in the garden and in the world!

Also, he shared his yummy Ginger Beer recipe with his!

Check Derek out on Facebook and Instagram.

Watch today’s episode of Grow! with Katie LIVE with Derek Haynes, the Crazy Botanist.