In this episode of Conservation Stories, host Tillery Timmons-Sims sits down with Dr. Kathryn Simpson, Associate Professor of Urban Horticulture and Sustainability at Texas Tech, to talk about an unexpected West Texas opportunity: guayule (pronounced “why-YOO-lee”)—a desert shrub that produces natural rubber and latex.

Dr. Simpson explains why guayule matters right now, from global supply-chain disruptions to the growing need for hypoallergenic latex that doesn’t carry the proteins that cause many allergic reactions. She breaks down how guayule is grown, where the rubber lives in the plant, and what it takes to move a crop from research plots to a real-world supply loop—seed, cultivation, processing, and end-use products.

The conversation also explores “rubber dandelion,” how Texas Tech fits into a multi-university research effort, and why West Texas may be a perfect testing ground for the next generation of water-smart, high-value crops.

More about our guests:

Dr. Kathryn Simpson, Associate Professor of Urban Horticulture and Sustainability at Texas Tech

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