Completely Arbortrary

Who is Totoro? They’re a spirit, a kami, of a massive camphor tree. In this episode of Treeyazaki, we talk legendary animated film My Neighbor Totoro and one of its central characters, the camphor ( Cinnamomum camphora ). We also talk about animism and its role in every culture around the entire world. Support the pod and become a  Treemium Member Follow along on Instagram Find Arbortrary mer...

Welcome to Completely Arbortrary’s Treeyazaki, a month-long exploration of the trees of Studio Ghibli and films of Hayao Miyazaki! To start our journey, we visit a bathhouse for spirits in Spirited Away. This is a story about a young girl who finds herself trapped in the spirit world, and must escape with the help of a river spirit. This episode we’re talking Shinto, the indigenous religion of Jap...

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 https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

In this BONUS EPISODE of Completely Arbortrary, hear the first trailer for our new December theme month: TREEYAZAKI, a month-long exploration of the trees of Studio Ghibli and the films of Hayao Miyazaki. Also, stick around for a big announcement about the way you support Completely Arbortrary. Then, listen to some cutting room floor audio from three mainline episodes! Completely Arbortrary is pro...

PRESERVATION! Join us for a conversation on preservation, John Muir, and the incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens). 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-...

CONSERVATION! What is it? And how does it differ from preservation ? Have you been using them interchangeably too? Well, no longer! In this episode, we discuss the Oregon myrtle ( Umbellularia californica ), and its relationship to conservation, and conservation’s relationship to the first Gifford Pinchot. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod...

With great distaste we present to you the Norway maple (Acer platanoides). This suburbanite tree of many faces is very popular, which might be the best thing we can say about it. But we have many good things to say about diversity. In every facet of life, diversity makes us stronger… and trees are no different! Let’s also define invasiveness and hear Casey’s extremely hot take. Completely Arbortra...

We’re poppin’ bottles on this very corky episode of Completely Arbortrary. Learn all about the cork oak (Quercus suber) and the dehesas of Spain and Portugal. These agrosilvopastoral lands are a marvel of sustainability and industry, and a beautiful template for letting nature lead the way. Also, stick around for some exciting BOOK NEWS from Casey! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by C...

“A great tree, that is kind of grey!” The ghost pine (Pinus sabiniana) is one of earth’s most spookiest trees, and chock full of curiosities in almost every category of its being. FUN FACTS! 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 read...

It lurks in the dark, and it sees the darkness…. The honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), like most trees, has a stick sense. How does it perceive the world? It all starts in the dark. 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 o...

A million year old forest, the Laurisilva of Madeira are stunning ecosystems trapped in time and untouched by humanity. At the center of this forest is the Canary Island Laurel (Prunus lusitanica). 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 addition...

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 https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#...

What was the “happiest place on Earth” before it was Disneyland? And what is it before that? We go back in time today to explore the dark history of the changes of this land from indigenous river people to farmland to massive theme park, and the one tree that survived it all, the Canary Island date palm ( Phoenix canariensis ). Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex C...

Sweet Neem! That’s right, today we’re talking all things Curry Leaf Tree ( Murraya koenigii ), and all things curry! This Indian tree is one of the most important trees in India, and one of the most delicious. You may even learn a little something about “curry”. Then, we answer a question about kelp! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and b...

The Margosa (Azadirachta indica) is one of the world’s most magical trees. Why? It’s in the oil! We call it neem oil, and its benefits have been lauded for centuries, for humans and plants alike. And join us for a discussion on Ayurveda, a traditional medicine system from India. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a  Treemium...

What does it mean to be “extinct in the wild”? Just ask the Franklinia (Franklinia alatamaha), who lives it existence only in arboretums and gardens. But it wasn’t always like this…. Then, we answer a question about TREE LAW. 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 merc...

A curious and very special relationship exists between the Sourwood (and its family) and the fungus that feeds it. Find out all about this ancient pact, and hear us wretch and spit our way through a very sour segment of Trail Snacks. 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 Arbortr...

Bees go to trees and get pollen on their knees. That tree is very likely a Silver linden (Tilia tomentosa). On this episode, we talk about bees. Unlike the last episode in which we talked about bees, this one has a happy ending. Plus, learn about Honeydew honey (just don’t think about it too much before you eat it). To hear Casey’s “Save The Bees” rant, join the Patreon! Completely Arbortrary is p...

One of the world’s loneliest and most critically endangered trees, the Sahara cypress ( Cupressus dupreziana ) stands nearly alone in the dead center of the mindblowingly vast Sahara desert in northern Africa. With only a handful of these trees left, we ask the question… what in the world is going on with these curious reproducers. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Al...

When does a tree that seems to be able to provide so much good become a tree that is reviled for causing so much harm? Today’s subject is the beach sheoak ( Casuarina equisetifolia ) a tree that is loved and loathed by many, including the Loggerhead turtles ( Caretta caretta ) of Keewaydin Island, where some well-meaning locals caused harm to the local sea turtle population in an effort to stay th...

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 https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#...

The tree under which The Buddha sat and reached enlightenment, the sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) is one of the world’s most iconic trees. As an ending to our Summer Vacation series, we trip to Sri Lanka where we visit the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. Hear our uneducated takes on Buddhism, and a reminder about what dark waspy rituals go on inside your favorite figs. See you next Fall! Completely Arbortrary...

The Baobab! One of Africa’s most storied and mythological trees, the baobab (Adansonia grandidieri) is one tall, thicc mother. Learn about how this tree is the camel of the arboreal world, listen to the myths associated with its topsy-turvy appearance, and learn about one of the best places to view them, Madagascar’s Avenue of the Baobabs. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clap...

This week we head to Sierra Leone and take a look at their famous kapok, the Cotton Tree of Freetown ( Ceiba pentandra ). The kapok is a tree that has had uses for humans for thousands of years, but the Cotton Tree of Freetown was far more than just a useful tree representing the spirit of a nation. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and be...

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 p...