Leaf it to Nature
Adam Rutherford and Jessica Fostekew explore the evolution and ingenuity of leaves.
We walk on them, rake them up and often barely give them a thought, but the humble leaf is an extraordinary feat of biological engineering. Adam Rutherford and Jessica Fostekew join plant scientist Tracy Lawson, biologist Jonathan Silvertown, and comedian Alex Kealy to uncover the hidden lives of leaves. They explore how leaves evolved, why plants face a constant battle between thirst and starvation, and whether understanding their ingenious adaptations could help us engineer crops for a hotter, drier future.
On radio
Broadcasts
- Next Thursday 11:00BBC Radio 4
- Sat 7 Nov 2026 19:15BBC Radio 4
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