We’re going on a Summer Vacation! First stop, Oaxaca, Mexico, to visit the sacred and legendary Árbol del Tule (Montezuma cypress, Taxodium mucronatum). This glorious and massive tree sits squarely in a church courtyard, and has found its way into the zeitgeist of Oaxacan culture. With a sordid taxonomic past, this tree tells a tall tale. But is it really a tree at all…? Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Membe...
Jul 06, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast What makes a tree popular? What keeps a tree popular? Ask the Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens), whose commercial popularity has lasted decades with no sign of slowing down. The “Norm” to plant nurseries’ Cheers, this spruce is a common character from corporate courtyards to suburban yards. Plus, we ask the question: will this tree’s popularity ever end? Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast Our desert darling, the Blue Palo Verde ( Parkinsonia florida ) might just be one of the most desert-adapted trees in the west. Named after a funny pharmacist, this desert dweller is a team player as much as it is a lone wolf. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary merch on our store Find additional reading on our website Cover art by Jillian Barthold Music by Aves a...
Jun 22, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast A tree of many names, the Alaska yellow-cedar ( Cupressus nootkatensis ) is a quintessential conifer with a plethora of identities. And in this episode, we discuss the wood of conifers, and how it differs from the wood of its harder, more broad-leafed counterpart. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary merch on our store Find additional reading on our website Cover a...
Jun 12, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast If you like paniculatas, and getting caught in the golden rain, you’ll love this episode all about the golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata). An instant house favorite, this Chinese lantern tree marks Buddhist tombs, grows big but small, and makes for a fabulous alleé. The slogan of this episode? Right Tree, Right Place. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary me...
Jun 08, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast In this woody episode of Completely Arbortrary, we discuss the jewel of the east, the Northern red oak (Quercus rubra). Wood facts, wood terminology, bad wood jokes—this is the episode that wood built! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary merch on our store Find additional reading on our website Cover art by Jillian Barthold Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals See P...
Jun 01, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast In our final installment of Completely Arbortrary’s Excellent Adventure, we take it all the way back to the year 0, Kazakhstan, where we discuss the wolf to our apple’s dog, the Wolf apple (Malus sieversii). Today, we know apple as a supermarket produce section monopolizers, but these are simply the domesticated version of the wild animal that is sieversii, a Kazakhstani native from a different time. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and...
May 25, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast A curse word ‘round these parts, the Arborvitae ( Thuja occidentalis ) is not a species in itself, but a cultivar of the great Northern white-cedar, a majestic and hearty tree of the North of America. This beauty can be found growing on the roughest terrain of the Niagara escarpment, so why do we plant it as a middling hedge and street tree in other parts of the country? Then, we undergo a massive rebrand of this stolen valor Tree of Life. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Cl...
May 18, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast The dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) was once the water fir, a tree endemic to a small valley in China. But thanks to the likes of Chinese foresters, a Japanese paleobotanist, and American plant explorers, this tree is now a worldwide sensation. Join us as we journey to China, 3,000,000 BC and 1940s Japan to witness the birth of a forest giant. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along o...
May 11, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast It’s Completely Arbortrary’s Excellent Adventure! To begin this journey through tree-time and tree-space, we revisit the crown of the Pacific Northwest and the very first tree we covered on this podcast, the Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). A long-lived tree with indigenous significance, modern lumber hypersignificance, and a huge native range, the Douglas-fir has few downsides. Learn new facts about this arboreal everyman and its family on this bodacious episode of Completely Arbortrary’s E...
May 04, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast CW: Death Straight from the Patreon (patreon.com/arbortrarypod) we give you this HUGE two-parter-turned-one-parter episode on how trees die. What does it mean to "die"? And how is human death different than tree death? Hear all about the process and the philosophy behind tree death in this unlocked bonus episode! We'll be back next with an excellent new series of Completely Arbortrary. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a ...
Apr 27, 2023•2 hr 52 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast Oh, Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus), how we love you (please love us back). A tree living out of its time that makes every effort to thwart attention and interaction, the Kentucky coffeetree may be the most curmudgeonly tree ever discussed on Completely Arbortrary. Learn about indigenous dice games, ecological anachronism, poisonous parts and scarification—this truly is a tree that hurts to know and must be hurt to grow. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and A...
Apr 20, 2023•59 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast To conclude our miniseries on logging, we discuss sugi (Crytomeria japonica), a unique conifer that hails from the forests of Japan. In a nation spared by colonization, where tradition and modernity coexist, sugi and its growing and processing methods are emblematic of this non-dichotomous dynamic. Yakisugi (or burnt cedar) is a method of treating sugi wood by means of fire, creating a phoenix-like rise from the ashes, making the wood more impermeable, and more resistant to insects and decay. Th...
Apr 13, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast What do you get when you treat trees like corn? A plantation, of course. And a whole lot of Monterey pine ( Pinus radiata ). A tree that grows stubby and wonky in its native range, the Monterey pine grows like a poster child for logging in New Zealand, where its stick-straight form makes it the tree of choice for an unthinkably large swath of logging land. But oh, that cone... Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium...
Apr 06, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Australia, land of strange plants. Jarrah ( Eucalyptus marginata ) is no exception! This superfluously hardwooded tree of the Darling Range of western Australia is home to many a marsupial, and sports an astronomically deep root system. But when it caught the attention of voracious European loggers for its striking wood, Jarrah's future turned irreversibly grim. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Mem...
Mar 30, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Logging has seen a stark evolution since its origins. What started as a wildly dangerous and often deadly process done largely by hand is now a multibillion dollar industry facilitated by manmade machines. Herein we meet our character, the eastern white pine ( Pinus strobus ), a ghost from the early days of American logging. In the first of a short series on logging, we hear the tragic tale of this quintessential pine species and the lumber barons who ensured its demise. Completely Arbortrary is...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast 1000 years ago, Polynesians reached the islands of Hawaii. On their seaworthy canoes were only a handful of plant species, but among them was the divisively flavorful botanical wonderdrug known as noni (Morinda citrifolia). Known for its funky flavors and breadth of influence on traditional Hawaiian medicine, this pan-tropical tree knows how to grow just about anywhere a canoe can bring it. Learn all about noni and the much broader classification of 'fruit', this week on Completely Arbortrary. C...
Mar 16, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast The devil went down to Georgia, where the Bald cypress ( Taxodium distichum ) lives its days in peace and harmony. This record-breakingly long-lived tree found the perfect place to call home--the swamps of the Southeastern United States. There, it sheds stereotypes as well as it sheds its needles, growing with grace and beauty against the harsh and dreary landscapes in which it resides. This deciduous conifer is without a doubt and from top to bottom a unique species. Then, we play a new game al...
Mar 09, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast In this BONUS EPISODE from our Patreon (c. Treeson's Eatings 2022), we discuss three non-tree food plants we love eat during the holidays: vanilla, cranberries, and peppermint! While we take a breath after our SUCCESSION series, please enjoy this unlocked episode and learn a thing or two about some classic holiday foods. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary merch o...
Mar 02, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast Late succession... the third and final act of a seemingly eternal stage play, and a self-perpetuating phase of the lifespan of a forest. The Yellow carabeen (Sloanea woollsii) dominates late succession in Australia. How and why is it so successful, and how does it set up generational success for its kind? In the final episode of our SUCCESSION series, we take a long look at the late stages of a forest, and discuss why it has the potential to go on forever. But nothing lasts.... Then, we put toge...
Feb 23, 2023•2 hr 37 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Weed tree? Or... the unsung hero of mid succession forests? The red alder (Alnus rubra) is our official representative from mid succession forests, and the lens through which we view this second phase, the early adulthood, of forest growth. There are no shortage of benefits this tree provides to its habitat, so does it deserve its bad reputation? On our way to late succession, we find shade intolerant plants dying away, making room for our first "real" trees. But the saplings of today are the su...
Feb 16, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast When a forest goes through a massive disturbance, little survives. We begin our journey here. What happens in the first stage of the succession of a forest? Learn in this episode through the eyes of the staghorn sumac ( Rhus typhina ), an en'tree'preneur of the early succession. MAKE YOUR MOVE. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary merch on our store Find additional...
Feb 09, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Thick, thorough, and quite enjoyable, today's episode is all about the koa ( Acacia koa ) and its endemism on the 5 million year-old islands of Hawai'i. This special tree is unique in so many ways, we lost count: fake leaves, exploding bark, instrument wood... this tree's got it all. We also chat about Hawai'i, and the incredible odds of life landing, rooting, and thriving on these islands. After our discussion, we revisit some "night tree" quesitons from Alex's appearance on the songwriting pod...
Feb 02, 2023•2 hr 30 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast EPISODE 100! We truly made it. And to celebrate, we're joined not only by the obligatory Kool & The Gang, but by TWO true firs, the Subalpine fir ( Abies lasiocarpa ) and the Noble fir ( Abies procera ). It's a two fir one! Then we take a trip down memory allée and visit our very first episode. Happy Episode 100 everyone! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary me...
Jan 26, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast A big flower with a big name. This week we discuss the bull banksia ( Banksia grandis ) and the prolific capitalist-botanist it’s named after, Sir Joseph Banks of the Royal Society. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary merch on our store Find additional reading on our website Cover art by Jillian Barthold Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals See Privacy Policy at htt...
Jan 19, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast What does it mean to be endemic? This. Tree. KNOWS. As does its homeland, the Klamath Mountains, a hotbed of endemic species. We chat with author and coniferman Michael Kauffmann about the Brewer spruce ( Picea breweriana ) and its unique place in this world. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary merch on our store Find additional reading on our website Cover art by...
Jan 12, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Happy New Year Fungal Associates! We bring you a simultaneously revered and reviled tree: the red maple ( Acer rubrum ). Learn how this megasuperstar got its start, and how it rose to be the Starbucks, Red Lobster, and the Chris Pratt of the tree world. Happy 2023! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary merch on our store Find additional reading on our website Cover ...
Jan 05, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast THE QUINCE ( Cydonia oblonga ), a legendary fruit of myth and magic, lost to time and erased from history by its usurper, the evil apple. This golden-apple has a rich history and an ever better taste. Please enjoy our LAST episode of Treeson’s Eatings, and of 2022! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary merch on our store Find additional reading on our website Cover ...
Dec 29, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep 48•Transcript available on Metacast We revisit the Triangle of Citrus to discuss a cornerstone of the shape, the Mandarin orange ( Citrus reticulata ). We talk etymology, genetic diversity and interbreeding before a visit from a pair of happy carolers. Merry Christmas! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary merch on our store Find additional reading on our website Cover art by Jillian Barthold Music by...
Dec 22, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast This week we take a trip down the Mississippi River and dive into the world of the pecan ( Carya illinoinensis ). Our second installment of Treeson's Eatings, we chat about where this nut came from, how it got to where it is today, and just how lovely it truly is. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary merch on our store Find additional reading on our website Cover a...
Dec 15, 2022•2 hr 34 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast 
