The Plant Ecology of Sewage and Petrochemical Effluent - Botanizing the Los Angeles River

[@GoodnightMoon666]

25:41 "You could find solitude, and silence, and relative calm amongst the- *[HORN]* ...jesus christ" Im sorry but that timing was just too perfect 😂

[@dingchat555]

Hahahah, it's like the train guy was listening to him.

[@waskozoids]

@@dingchat555 thems know eachother.

[@WestCoastWheelman]

If he didn't have his pupper with him I would have assumed he filmed this one on a lunch break at work.

[@cooperspringer2913]

That horn fooled me for a second.

[@pjc7729]

Because of this channel I started to go to my local botanical garden to learn about the native plants around where I live. You're doing great things so thank you for making these videos, I always learn so much.

[@sarasmr4278]

Well that is a brilliant idea and now I'm going to do the same. Gofukyerselfbye 💜

[@chompachangas]

Hell yeah dude. We're at the ass end of a long bike trail and it looks like shit. I understand why they can't let trees grow because of the powerlines, but I am planning on spreading some native flower seeds around there.

[@Koraxus]

You could use smaller size trees. At least where I live there's variety in that regard.

[@bobair2]

Your observations about the human condition are unfortunately spot-on. I sure do enjoy your videos and always come away having learned something new about nature both flora and fauna and even geography . Please never stop what you are doing even if you feel like a voice in the wilderness,I hear you and isn't that the point. Thanks Tony!

[@kirkjohnson9353]

I'm 62 years old. When I was a kid my dad was fairly impressed with how well I understood science in school and he made a request of me. He had been battling moles in his yard and garden for decades- and was the decided loser. He had tried every mole remedy and scheme that he could find - to no avail. Somewhere he heard about something that he thought , if he could get his hands on it, would finally give him the victory he so craved. Yes, my father asked me to make some ricin for him because he heard something that really impressed him with it's lethal effect- surely , the moles would lose this round. Fortunately , this was before the internet kids, I was not able to find a source of castor beans and never even got to the stage of figuring out how to make ricin. Because of lack of information I probably would not have understood how dangerous it is and who knows how things would have played out. I could have killed the whole family and created a scene of the coroner removing the bodies from our home across our beautiful, mole free yard. Who knows?

[@DarkAngelEU]

Sounds like one of those reports I' read and go, "only in America" lol

[@frauleintrude6347]

I got rid of moles in my yard by digging away their hills and stuffing some cotton balls sprayed with a disgusting smelling la Perla Perfume I got from my mother in law in their mole holes. The yard smelled quite fancy for a while but the moles moved away after two weeks of constant air freshener in their runways.

[@kirkjohnson9353]

@@frauleintrude6347 Wherever they moved to they were probably called "French Moles"

[@unnatural_log6472]

As much as I love the videos where you go to some exotic location and look at weird plants, I think the videos in cities might be my favorite.

[@excitingleopard6976]

Yes! I totally agree with you. Two years ago I lived in a city and became homeless from some unfortunate circumstances. I fell in love with the plant life in these types of abandoned places where the homeless and junkies would camp out, so I found books on weeds and botany. The insight it gave me into these forgotten areas was valuable to understanding of the natural world.

[@llownable]

Really enjoyed hearing about C3 vs C4 photosynthesis

[@progenitor_amborella]

yeah, I love hearing some science in these videos like that, pretty neat stuff

[@Biophile23]

Got me really engaged, about to do my photosynthesis lecture for this spring semester. :)

[@CrocTV42]

C4

[@Purwapada]

. gave me some PTSD about my A -level Biology lessons ngl

[@GildaLee27]

8:54 Your dog absolutely beaming with devotion to you. I feel exactly the same way.

[@corycummings9309]

Same

[@Jack13001]

just wanted to say you inspired me to plant 50 scots pines around an acre of land my grandad has in Ireland. Now I'm setting my sites on the parks and gardens of Dublin lol

[@snuugumz]

Jacko Flacko Brilliant! Someday this distant daughter of Ireland (well, mostly) may get lucky enough to cross the pond and see what sort of trouble she can get into. And see how your plants are doing.

[@ciarancassidy7566]

Nice choice, Scots pine is a beautiful tree and one of the only conifers native to Ireland. While they're beautiful in their own way it can be sad to see all the plantations full of New world conifers in this country.

[@debbiehenri7170]

Great to hear. Scots Pines are beautiful and are among the several species of pines I plant out from time to time. If you want to stray away from natives towards slightly more decorative pines, might want to see if you can get hold of Abies concolor 'Swift's Silver' sometime. The seed is expensive, rare, and the resultant tree grows slowly; but even though it's a native of a small area of New Mexico, it's growing here in Scotland. It has the most lovely silvery-green to silvery-green/blue foliage I've seen on a pine; a nice and tidy plant too. I've got one that's now 15 years old and stands just 5'6". The deer seem to leave it alone, which is more than can be said for Pinus mugo. That's one of the things I really have to be concerned about when planting pines. Deer ate most of my Scots Pines too, so I have only a few left in my garden (don't know about anywhere else I planted them). Beware of keeping long grass short around the base of your tree trunks as well, because voles (Scottish ones at least) bite rings around the bark and will kill a few trees that way. Again, the Abies concolor 'Swift's Silver' doesn't suffer this problem, must taste like hell.

[@ChrisWestwell]

I wish we had your videos in high school, I cannot help but keep watching and learning. I have never actively paid so much attention to Latin nomenclature.

[@JM-ll6hd]

From one rail worker to another, I love to see another with interest in nature rather than meaningless sports and pursuits.

[@The0Maketu0High0Roll]

Thank you for making these urban ecology videos. People often forget that the struggle for life is happening everywhere, even and especially in the land we abuse

[@joemeyers4131]

If you get this post soon ..I enjoy just ordinary plants even like weeds growing along a sidewalk or in cracks even around asphalt .

[@najakwarkle]

"Even in a toilet, there is a little bit of light." Words to live by. All kidding aside, I always learn something from your videos, thanks so much sir!

[@hypercube33]

This guy is like a street botanist professor

[@drakoinx]

Right every kids best science teacher.

[@Nhoj31neirbo47]

Cool to see the literal ‘other side of the botanical tracks’ after spending the day wandering the manicured landscapes of the Huntington Botanical Garden today.

[@susandoerr3896]

The voice is the reason I listen. Great job. No test yet please

[@SuperShecky]

When I moved into my house not too far from this location 20 years ago, the back yard had been neglected and overgrown for a long time. Most prominent growth were brugmansia, ricinus, and a huge stand of oleander functioning as a wall separating our property from the neighbors. All unattended for years. A natural garden of death. I especially liked when the ricinus would start popping it's beans like some kind of triffid. Took years, but the only remaining is a single brugmansia on the side of the house that provides nice shade to a bedroom window. Fountain grass seems to be popular around here as a low hassle lawn replacement.

[@royahold1966]

This video has given me hope that the rest of the evening will at least be tolerable and a full 99% less likely to end in suicide. Thank you very much sir.

[@OddBunsen]

LowplainsdriftR please stay around dude. I hope you're ok.

[@royahold1966]

@@OddBunsen not at all suicidal. just a sort of joke because CPBBD sometimes says looking at these dainty little bastards makes you not want to die as much and stuff like that. my little joke was probably in bad taste, for that I apologize. again, not at all suicidal here, thanks for the concern tho. good to know real human beings still exist out there.

[@bobbysayer5801]

well shit bro just know that when u say this stuff ppl will be concerned

[@dakronikles]

ayyyy lmao

[@nathangraves5266]

32:04 "This one's native to Chile-" *Skyrim quest completed noise in distance*

[@nidalshehahadeh7485]

You brought back some memories especially by mentioning Charles Bukowski, I used to be his mechanic in San Pedro California , Los Angeles is just a cesspool . if you really want to see plant diversity like nowhere else ... take a trip to subtropical Southern Florida , within one day you could drive from Zone 9 A to 9B to 10A and Zone 10 B on the same stretch of highway , Florida keys happened to be in zone 11 wish I think is the farthest Zone in the US , my 1st biological surprise after moving in to Port Charlotte Florida is the lizards , they are more plentiful than cockroaches with amazing different varieties of colors and shapes .

[@shinejah]

I'm an avid anole watcher. Very underrated hobby.

[@kengonagaoka1968]

“Even in a toilet, there’s a little bit of light.” Love this episode

[@juanvillalvazo1695]

Hey I grew up next to that effluent, concrete, garbage shoot/sewage flush/transient apartment complex, thank you very much! 😂

[@SoozBeez]

I live in a small railroad town & I'm the granddaughter of a man who was a fireman, then engineer on the CB&Q/Burlington Route/Burlington Northern for 47 years. I absolutely love the sound of a train whistle.

[@forestofheavy]

Is it wrong to love the verbal ballet of narration on these videos this much?

[@thestereoclub6735]

The persistence of life in an urban shithole is always impressive. Given 10 years without chemicals and weed whackers you wouldn't be able to see the train tracks, and you would be worried about the coyotes and feral dogs. Austin's dystopian landscape of the future will be ligustrum and nandina thickets. That stuff can survive fire. Thumbs up for the Datura- it's lovely with huge flowers, very tough, easy to grow.

[@marishkababushka185]

“... a headless pigeon and a human turd!” Classic 🤯

[@igbatious]

i like how you picked this tiny corner of LA. i pass this area all the time and never once thought about all the different plants and whatnot is happening.

[@zorrokitty5666]

I’m so happy, it’s a birthday miracle. A new CPBBD video, in a different newish place! Thanks dude

[@shastahill]

Happy birthday✨

[@patrickd3256]

Castor bean is the top vector for polyphagous shot hole borer. Save a tree, rip out a castor bean.

[@craighoover1495]

There are a lot of sycamores here in Orange County that have been affected too. The UC Irvine campus lost a lot of these. They are intensively studying this insect. The Avocado growers are very afraid of this insect and are funding research I understand.

[@tsawy6]

@Kvyn Gmbyr Pretty sure castor oil is synthetic these days.

[@annarboriter]

@@tsawy6 Hmm.. you might be thinking of Castrol

[@tsawy6]

@@annarboriter ah, I see, castor oil is itself a replacement for castoreum, which is an extract from some Beaver gland

[@Koraxus]

Those are a real plague where I live. All heavily disturbed areas that don't have pavement have a lot of those.

[@kidturbo3451]

Your channel name is what caught my eye. I am extremely impressed with your knowledge. I am extremely entertained by your commentary. I would love to know what got you into plants and what kind of schooling it took to get you where you are. Thank you for all of your content!!

[@KimChi-iy7jd]

Google the channel, plenty of info out there. 😉

[@steveblake4578]

For the past ten years I have been planting sunflowers every summer from now on I will be planting asteracia !

[@rogerflanigan6427]

You need to record college level botany courses. I'd pay for them.

[@addammadd]

Personally, I’m happy with these life-level botany courses.

[@SiberianTiger888]

Why would you pay for them when you have them here for free? Would rather listen to dry college lecture than his freeform videos?

[@pullupyourplants]

Your descriptions of plants are excellent, but the opening description of LA is equally impressive.

[@isobe260]

i’m gonna read up on photosynthesis now, thank you! brilliant as ever

[@wolfcatcombo5859]

I was watching another of your videos and thinking to myself about how disgusted(?) I felt knowing that the landscape, where you stood, likely used to extend into and beyond the city that I could see in the background. Even more so knowing that people don't live in those cities for happiness or comfort, but for the wealthy that use them to get rich. Then I came here and read that quote from Bukowski. Blew my mind a bit. It feels good to know that some people understand the horrific state that society has fallen into. If some do, then we can still do something about it someday. Maybe. Thank you.

[@PMunkS]

I might amend the opening Henry Chinaski quote to replace the word "fools" with the word "criminals" and replace the word, "masses" with "fools". We suffer their crimes in isolation and despair with sheepish complacency. Botany may not pay, but your channel enriches your viewers. This topic is uniquely valuable! Thank you!

[@timquinnell5452]

Big fan from New Zealand here ,loved your New Calendonia stuff ,but also enjoy your U.S stuff ,making the most of your surroundings ,nature's all around !

[@bgbthabun627]

CPBBD, I too have admired graffitti both mobile and stationary. I would gladly watch a video on some of your favorites.

[@ScooBdont]

Fun fact: the town I live in has the steepest grade of any line-haul railroad in the country. Completed in 1841 it ascends 413 ‘ per mile giving the track a 5.89 percent grade.

[@BillBondsHasAPosse]

RD RR #NFA #GDF

[@ScooBdont]

I was drawing blanks trying to think of what those hashtags stood for. I think I finally got it, Not Fade Away and Grateful Dead Forever. ✌️🙂👍

[@gardnersmith3580]

“I have lots of things to teach you now, in case we ever meet, concerning the message that was transmitted to me under a pine tree in North Carolina on a cold winter moonlit night. It said that Nothing Ever Happened, so don't worry. It's all like a dream." ---Jack Kerouac

[@whatabouttheearth]

"Even in the toilet there's a little bit of light"

[@devinecryptid6432]

I just came across your channel recently and its fastly becoming one of my favorites. Ive learned a lot about plants ive never even heard of before!!!Thank you for all the quality content

[@Love-tl2gh]

Love what you do 👍very informative.

[@thefinalkayakboss]

picked up botany in a day on your recommendation, been walking around trying to identify shit, thanks for inspiring me

[@Wonderhussy]

It sounds like he's ad libbing all of this, just ranting on the fly as he goes...which if that's the case is amazing!

[@malo8631]

The opening quote reminded me of "Cellz" Song by MF DOOM.

[@alwaystired1]

my first thought too

[@adamswartz1725]

Charles Bukowski is featured on Cellz reading his poem Dinosauria, We. The intro of this video is a snippet of that poem.

[@DaLoopDiggerz]

People with taste i see.

[@spaguettoltd.7933]

Good ol DOOM. Is there any better rapper for capturing the grim coziness of post-industrial america?

[@CasaVipera]

Check the Doom playlist on this channel... no coincedence

[@Katie-rq7bv]

“even in a toilet, there’s a little bit of light” 🙏🏻

[@cgriggsiv]

Another awesome video And you are so correct about the human population Too bad for that River

[@Justonemorefish_]

Love the bukowski poem in the beginning. Thank you Tony for what you do!

[@peterdhanes8771]

Immediate thumbs up for the opening quote.

[@CreditR01]

18:33 - I LOVE datura, that's such a nice little gem to find.

[@ikki_jabul4456]

First sentence out of your mouth earned my subscription.

[@icedvodka420]

Yo dawg I love your channel keep up the good work! My normal morning routine involves consuming some plants and watching your videos, so tranquil in a slightly gritty way. Im from Philadelphia so thats my life in a nutshell haha.

[@recklessroges]

Hi! First time viewer. I started out thinking, "oh this isn't a video for me" and then you started spouting Latin and I was more transfixed than a demon during an séance. Your communication style is not to my taste but I can hear a kindred spirit with a love of plants and an excellent philosophy. Thank you for sharing some of your wisdom.

[@ForgedThroughNature]

God I love your content sooo much Im studying botany currently and your videos have drove me so much. Just want you to know your content really inspired me

[@ForgedThroughNature]

Also I’ve been subbed to you for years since I was a little shit head kid

[@fatherpossum]

What a freakin great quote you started this video with, and of course the rest of your video was great too thank you

[@richardbidinger2577]

That opening quote pretty much said it all. Great video.

[@woodenpints]

I have nothing to add, but wanted to comment to help you with The Algorithm. Such great videos need to be recommended more.

[@redstar956]

One of your better videos! I enjoyed this a lot, thank you 👍

[@alexcarter8807]

That giant reed is what saxophone, clarinet, and oboe reeds are made of.

[@XoroksComment]

The Tree of Heaven is now on a blacklist of plants that are not allowed to be sold or planted in the EU. Not sure how I feel about that, but it is very invasive here in central Europe, Austria. In the city you can spot it along the railtracks or in many pavement cracks, together with staghorn sumac and a bit of paulownia. It's very expensive to control and because it coppices so well, you can't just cut it back and you can't rip it out because it seems to sprout in even the smallest cracks with dirt. I've heard that it is a big problem in the Mediterranean where it damages the building structure of historical sites. But if you could produce a sterile cultivar (maybe polyploid?) that doesn't produce seeds, it would be the best city tree ever. Fast growing, tolerates heat, salt, pollution, doesn't need any care or a lot of water, looks nice, produces oyxgen, etc.

[@user-vk7cp1op9p]

Love your show! And that you keep on with the important good stuff. Thanks!

[@victorsaloum9731]

you should do a vid on those inner workings of the varieties of photosynthesis. id love to see it in your teaching style.

[@mammaliandischarger]

You're a badass mafuka. Thanks for the laughs and the genius of knowing a good poem.

[@NewMessage]

Just what I needed today. Usually, not friggin' killing myself *AT* society is enough to keep me goin'.. but some days, spite alone isn't enough.

[@theboxcaradventurer1874]

Used to live outside of Baltimore. Walking the tracks under I-70. Nice.

[@littleianthefirst4934]

Im in southern Portugal, same climactic variables and invasives, and profanities, cheers Tony, great uploads, this particular one nailed it, thanks for the edu me cation X

[@dawienatral7083]

Always a blast, enjoy your Vids.

[@KiLLeRNaSTYY]

Hey Joey, loved you on the Conservation Cast! Keep up the good work :)

[@smcic]

Best channel on the tubes

[@conorgraves]

Your channel is great. You’re well informed, and the dose of cynicism and humor definitely keeps me entertained while I’m learning new bullshit about botanical specimens. I am on the east coast and watch to learn more about North American plants and escape from bad practices in cultivation. Also, that’s a good dog you got there.

[@gqftoast]

I worked on a concrete lined channel like the one in your video near knotts berry farm in Anaheim. I worked there for a few weeks and then it rained and you would not believe how black it became as the flow washed all the oil and who knows what into it. This all flows of course directy into the santa monica bay. Did you ever wonder why he ocean is green near shore, in fact you need to cruise out for miles sometimes to reach blue water.

[@AlyxGlide]

I love the graffiti along the LA river 💙 I always look forward to it & I wish they would leave the art up

[@Fishtory]

Love this video Tony. I do this with fungi in the city (Seattle). I just love your content and shared it with my channel's viewers. thanks for doing what you do.

[@robertfaucher3750]

Finally! An Ailanthus Altissma appearance! Horribly invasive but honestly one of my favorite trees to make stuff out of.

[@emrazum]

Dude that quote is enough to think about for a whole ass week, how do you expect me to watch a whole ass masterpiece about plants afterwards. Only Kidding, of course, love the art, great content, shitty humanity, the usual

[@michaelvelik8779]

You gave that dog prosciutto, you have a canine friend for life.

[@maegaggles]

I love your dang channel.

[@matildagreene1744]

Thank U !! Originally from Joliet (armpit USA) Love that voice :)

[@danc3868]

This is the best KZbin channel.

[@nlbhaduri]

And that’s how Agent Orange got elected....but, that aside, rock on BotanyDude! I learn so much from your meanderings and ramblings!

[@johntowner1893]

We get castor oil plants in NSW Sydney Aus. I didn’t realise it was a euphorbiaceae. Thanks for your amazing insight and character.

[@SuperReznative]

Incredibly educational, entertainment, Hello from prarries Canada,. Hah "another photo -synthetic blight". God bless.

[@joshuayelton3026]

Dang you had me convinced that dehisses was a word. I never would have questioned it if u hadnt of corrected yourself lol I love your vids and style man thanks for the great content and passion.

[@morganw.4711]

Here for the botany truthbombs and railroad trivia. Also misheard “interlocking levers” as “interlocking lovers” and that lead down a fascinating mental pathway.

[@UnbornApple]

I really appreciate these videos. Keep it up.

[@privato9238]

Dude you give me more motivation than any of my teachers in my schooltime. Thank you man.

[@matthewwagner47]

New viewer and find your videos very interesting and knowledgeable. Thanks for sharing friend. Used to Live in Lompoc, and Santa Maria.

[@nicholaslutsch5036]

Great videos man, keep up the great work!

[@w4do]

Ricinus communis. When I was growing up in Brazil, my grandma extracted oil from the seeds to fuel her tin lamps. A more refined oil was (is?) used as medicine. Nice to see it here.

[@marcvalade94]

Wow! Lots of fine vocabulary in this spanish royal gardener. Not a small complement coming from a french servant of the crown. I learn lot more then botanics on your chanel! Great !

[@xenocampanoli815]

Your brickellia californica reminded me of things in the mallow family, which is rosids rather than asteracea. I definitely need to learn more details around flowers and leaves.

[@emrazum]

28:35 that little ladybug made my day

[@laureng6412]

You should go to the Caribbean (more specifically the BVI/USVI)- there are extremely interesting plants that grow on the islands and the geology of the islands is really cool

[@CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt]

It's on my list...

[@laureng6412]

@@CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt I go to the BVI/USVI every year with my family- the botany changes from island to island, but the hurricanes that went through a couple of years back destroyed a lot of it

[@sclr]

Thanks for the vids. I too used RR tracks and spots to gets some needed solitude.

[@JoseAlvarez-vv5dz]

(Not so)Fun fact: Giant Reed runs rampant in Italy, especily southern Italy, because Mussolini ordered swathes of it planted to control erosion.

[@bearhustler]

I saw acres of dense reeds on the way from Rome to the airport - same thing ?

[@everettduncan7543]

One more reason to detest fascism

[@Yessicuhhh]

I was in Italy last October and could not believe how much Arundo there was everywhere :(. Interesting to know how it became so ubiquitous.

[@lagatitabruja]

your channel is the best thing I have ever seen. I also love freight trains.

[@nonaeubinis4934]

This man is a gem!!!

[@T1ddlywinks]

You're in my backyard man! I'd buy ya a beer, but we both quit drinking lol

[@nicoshedden9477]

Ailanthus altissma is extremely successful here in Albuquerque even with minimal water

[@tomsheft4223]

In Jersey we called 'em "ghetto palm."

[@metfraser303]

Can confirm, I had two or three in my yard when I lived by the University, which is a few miles away and uphill from the river. They smell awful but I like watching them during thunderstorms, it almost feels like living somewhere tropical.

[@fritzschnitzel1992]

Species list is clutch. Thank you kindly sir!