Completely Arbortrary

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 thi...

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...

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 decid...

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...

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 fo...

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 intole...

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...

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...

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 Cro...

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 ou...

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...

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...

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...

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 Arbortr...

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...

This week we take another dive into history and question if the true cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum ) really stands up to its name. This is our first installment of Treeson's Eatings, so get your spoons ready and listen in! 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...

Enjoy this bonus episode as we take a quick break. We put out these episodes twice a month and they are available in our Patreon. So go check it out and hear more fabulous conversations about other related topics and 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...

This week we bring you the Tom Hanks of the trees, the white oak ( Quercus alba ). We take a deep dive in how this ubiquitous tree has been a cultural icon since before the "first Thanksgiving" and see how it has maintained a reverence unlike almost all others. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a  Treemium Member Follow alo...

This week, we really jump off the deep end and we throw off the yoke of traditional treedom. This week we're coving the saguaro cactus ( Carnegiea gigantea ), a giant of its universe. Listen in for a look at what it takes to be a cactus, and stay for a new word game. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a  Treemium Member Foll...

Wollemia nobilis , the conifer we didn't know existed. This week we discuss the Wollemi-pine, a tree before time, and its geological journey across the world. We also hear from Ian Allen from the Sydney Botanic Gardens on this tree and its questionable future. Watch your step! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a  Treemium M...

Headed down south to the land of the pine, our journey this week takes us to the flats of North Caroline. The longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) has a storied history that means a whole lot to a whole lot of people, and has for generations. Listen in for a walk through the southern forests and learn what makes this tree so unique. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! This week's tree is another elder that grew up in a different time, the rainbow wood ( Araucarioxylon arizonicum ). A fossil of a tree, we dig into what petrification actually is, and then we build ourselves a Trunkenstein's monster. Very spooky. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a  Treemium Member Follow a...

Last week we talked about a tree that has a unique--and deadly--relationship with birds. This week, the script is flipped and we hear about a bird that uses a tree to accomplish it gruesome agenda: the thorn mimosa ( Vachellia nilotica ). 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 Ar...

What happens when a temporary tattoo becomes permanent, and makes you permanently DEAD?! We find out in our most macabre episode yet coving the bird-catcher tree ( Pisonia grandis ). Join us this week as discuss this tree's unique means of spreading its seeds, and the dark repercussions. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a ...

This week we present to you a case for and against the sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua ). A tree that is lauded by some and loathed by others, we take sides and present the merits and demerits of the subject tree and leave it for you to decide its fate. Which side will you choose? Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a  Tre...