New Podcast “Bad Seeds” Investigates Black Market For Endangered Species

School of Humans and iHeart Podcasts have announced a new podcast, Bad Seeds. And no, it’s not about the seeds for your garden. It’s much more insidious.

The phrase “black market” evokes sinister images: Stacks of AK-47s. Crates of cocaine. Caged tigers. But potted succulents on a windowsill? No one is calling Crime Stoppers for that. And yet, the biggest black market you’ve never heard of is blooming right under your nose. Whether it’s a 4,000-pound cactus shoveled from the Arizona desert or delicate orchids pinched from the tangled jungle of Peru, rare plants are at the center of a rapidly growing — and lucrative — world of crime.

The eight-part series begins with a special Earth Month launch on April 12 with two episodes.

From Mexican drug cartels cashing in by ripping succulents from the desert, or a cabal of corrupt government officials secretly peddling endangered species, Bad Seeds looks into an underworld where obsessive collectors and hardened criminals collide. Along the way, we explore how all these crime sprees and cover-ups affect everyday consumers and enthusiasts — and the fate of the planet.

Model and sustainability activist Summer Rayne Oakes was stunned when a Modern Farmer feature on her prodigiously verdant Brooklyn apartment…