Completely Arbortrary

Put up your dukes, for a battle between the city, the people, and the trees. At the center is butternut ( Juglans cinerea ), and it's shading you, your neighbor, and your neighbor's neighbor. Then we play a new game with one rule... you do not talk about Fight Shrub. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow alo...

Who started the fire? It may have been the knobcone pine ( Pinus attenuata ) in a ditch attempt to RELEASE THE SEEDS! This curious pine has a curious way of dispersing which includes fire, cones, and cannibalism. 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 sto...

Anomalous secondary growth! What in the world is it? Just ask the ombú ( Phytolacca dioica ), pokeweed’s tree-like cousin. It doesn’t make wood, it makes “anomalous secondary growth”, an endlessly interesting way to grow. Then, we answer a question about the perfect flower/tree pairings. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treem...

The Golden Ratio: a fact of life on Earth, or an copy and pasted alien blueprint? Perhaps the answer lies in the cones of the Austrian black pine ( Pinus nigra ). Let’s discuss Phyllotaxis, the mathematical means by which plants remain in light. 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 A...

What's up, Middle-Earthlings! Casey and I are taking a much-needed break this week, and so we present to you a hilariously massive extended edition episode that includes all three episodes of our Lord of the Tree Rings series, originally published in March of 2022. New episodes starting next week! Take care, everyone. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Sup...

What makes you happy? Is it money? Or maybe it’s the money tree ( Pachira aquatica ). This famous houseplant is also a forest tree, so why did it become synonymous with feng shui, harmonious qi, and interior design? Then we play a new game of Happy Go Lucky! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Ins...

What makes trees weep? Perhaps the answer lies in the aptly named weeping cherry ( Prunus x subhirtella 'Pendula'). Today we talk gravitropism and why some plants just have it backward. Then, we listen to you tree-themed Beatles covers and announce the winner of THE HAT! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow...

What makes you angry? Is it the Jeffrey pine (𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘫𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘺𝘪)? Perhaps it’s the smell, a controversial topic among tree lovers that causes all sorts of anger. 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 Jillia...

Why are we so afraid of the silver maple ( Acer saccharinum )? Perhaps because of the risk involved. In today’s episode of Inside Sprout, we discuss tree risk assessment as we ask ourselves the question: if a tree falls, and no one is around to see it, is there any risk? Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow...

Welcome to Inside Sprout, a 5 part mini-series on trees that best embody and illicit our most basic human emotions. Today we start with disgust and the black locust ( Robinia pseudoacacia ). This tree is almost universally despised for its invasiveness, but has found a very important and loving niche for itself in the woodworking community. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Cla...

Take me out to the ball game… the one where they bounce a solid rubber ( Castilla elastica ) ball between their hips. Today we take it way back for a discussion about rubber (the tree) and rubber (the substance) and an ancient ballgame that’s still played today. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on...

The lightest wood there is, the balsa ( Ochroma pyramidale ) is one excited little kid. It grows fast, has ice cream cone flowers, and you can even carry it around on your shoulders! But what gives this tree the ability to grow in such a famous way? Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Fi...

In the second part of our eco-feminism series, we discuss the Chipko movement, a practical manifestation of eco-feminist ideologies out of India. Author/activist Vandana Shiva makes an appearance, as does the Banj oak ( Quercus leucotrichophora). Then, we play a medieval edition of the Slang Game. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and beco...

What makes a tree innately "feminine"? We can't explain it, but we can roughly explain eco-feminism, and how it affects our opinions of, and behaviors toward, Mother Nature and the sitka spruce ( Picea sitchensis ). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Oh, what fun is the jaboticaba ( Plinia cauliflora ) with it’s curiously growing fruit. Learn about this tree before diving headlong into a discussion about temperate vs. tropical fruit! Who be will victorious? Then, we have not one but TWO taste tests! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagra...

The tree that walks! (not really) The walking palm ( Socratea exorrhiza ) is beloved by Tik-Tok clickbait content creators for its astounding ability to “walk”. But is its fame a double-edged sword? 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 re...

ʻŌhiʻa Lehua ( Metrosideros polymorpha ) is Hawaii's most populous tree, and perhaps its most adaptable! For a tree that grows on literal lava flows, this tree has no shortage of interesting qualities that make it one of the most fascinating trees we've ever discussed! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow a...

Happy 2025! Let’s start with a tree so out of time and place that it’s suffering the most endangered situation of any conifer in the world. Then, we play a game that teaches you how to avoid non-tree conversations. Welcome to Season 8. 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...

Today we whittle spoons alongside woodworking gem Justin Davies, and hear about Justin's dos-and-dont's while carving, how he got into the hobby, and where it's taking him next! 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...

Merry Christmas! Let’s gather ‘round the Moodjar ( Nuytsia floribunda ). But look out, this fascinating tree has a few quirks that make it an expert parasite. Then we play a game, The Mood Jar! See you 2025. 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 addi...

Only two wise men showed up. But, good news: they brought frankincense ( Boswellia sacra ) and myrrh ( Commiphora myrrha ), two storied plants known for their seemingly endless beneficial properties and their role in the legend of the birth of Jesus. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram F...

The gumbo-limbo ( Bursera simaruba ) is living that hummock life, and loving every minute of it. This resiliant tree stays low to the ground and says “who cares” to hurricanes, making it a stalwart, understated addition to upland subtropical climes. Then we discuss what happens when billionaires want a better view. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Suppor...

In an episode heavy with rants and strong opinions, we discuss the yellow birch ( Betula alleghaniensis ). Leafblowers, giant earthworms, and birches all collide in this dense episode of Completely Arbortrary. Then, we answer a question about the most satisfying falling leaves. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member...

Would you like a cup of tea? Try the gourd herb ( Ilex paraguariensis ), a tropical tree famous for its massive contribution to the world of drinkables. 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 Bart...

Life goes on... and on... and on... for the curlleaf mountain-mahogany ( Cercocarpus ledifolius ). What can we learn from this long-lived, tough-as-nails tree? Then, we take a listener question about fallen trees! 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 Fin...