Crime Pays but Botany Doesn't
A profane, blue‑collar botany channel and its “Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t” reading list prompted people to share how it sparked deeper interest in plants, ecology, and the geology–botany connection. Commenters debate scientific naming—Latin taxonomy, its European biases, and whether common names or alternative systems could work better—alongside practical tools for plant identification and restoration, from Flora Incognita and iNaturalist to new native‑plant web apps. The thread widens into reflections on guerilla gardening, pocket forests, and how many adults rediscover attention to plants and birds as an antidote to sterile landscaping and modern stress.
Botany channel, book, and media
- Many praise the YouTube channel and podcast for mixing crude, blue‑collar ranting with deep plant ecology, geology, and local history.
- “Concrete botany” videos on weeds in urban/industrial environments and tours of places like the Chicago River and an abandoned NYC airfield are repeatedly recommended.
- The audiobook of the author’s book is liked especially because of the narration; some find the video persona “full on” but enjoy long-form podcasts and interviews with older botanists and rail/graffiti workers.
- Several mention the creator’s art and graffiti background, and a memorable grocery-store and “hippie snake oil aisle” rant.
Linnaean taxonomy, Latin, and language politics
- Long subthread on whether calling Linnaean-era thinking about “white European cultures” “backwards and goofy” is fair or necessary.
- Some readers stopped reading over this; others see it as a pre‑emptive nod to modern sensitivities while still defending taxonomy.
- Consensus in discussion: Latin was a practical scientific lingua franca in 17–18th c. Europe; criticizing it as such is seen by many as misguided.
- Broader taxonomy critiques: political naming fights (e.g., “acacia”), Eurocentric naming instead of local names, and limitations of rank-based systems vs phylogenetic “tree coordinates.” Others counter that any naming scheme would have similar issues and is mainly for human coordination.
Plant ID apps and crowdsourcing
- Flora Incognita is praised as free, ad‑free, privacy‑respecting; PlantNet is noted as having far larger species coverage.
- iNaturalist is highlighted as open source, research-oriented, and usable without app stores; some lament lack of F-Droid options.
- Apps also act as massive citizen-science datasets via geotagged observations.
Interest in nature with age
- Multiple commenters describe a late‑onset obsession with plants, trees, and birds, often triggered by new gardens, restoration projects, or stress relief from modern work.
- Noticing patterns (birdsong, plant traits) creates a rewarding feedback loop and a sense of deeper connection.
Lawns, native plants, and “criminal botany”
- People share efforts to kill lawns, plant native trees, create dense “pocket forests,” and do guerrilla gardening.
- Debate over lawn and weed ordinances: some see them as anti‑ecological; others emphasize real pest and fire concerns while noting allowances for native plantings if done thoughtfully.
- “Criminal botany” is playfully categorized (chaotic evil: invasives; chaotic good: seeding natives on lawns), with a serious note that plant poaching is simply harmful.
Tools, projects, and ecosystem tech
- Several “show HN”–style tools aggregate taxonomic data, traits, and habitat info, or recommend native plants by ecoregion and site conditions.
- Others are building personal GIS/visualization systems and sensor setups to make local ecology more legible for field observation.