Completely Arbortrary

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...

In the second of our “odd Pine family distant cousins” we talk Keteleeria ( Keteleeria davidiana ), and the perfect pocket of China where this and many other species call home. 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 C...

In this episode, we explore the golden-larch ( Pseudolarix amabilis ), a unique member of the pine family that feels a bit like the “weird cousin at the Pine family picnic.” Once native to the Arctic, this deciduous conifer now grows exclusively in specific regions of China, adapting over millennia to its new home. We also dive into a listener question about variegated leaves and why some plants s...

WARNING: This is not a mango. Do not eat this non-mango, this Lord of Lies, this Great Deceiver, for it is the sea-mango ( Cerbera manghas ) and it absolutely will kill you. The story is a little more complicated, however, as this tree provides an undeniably invaluable resource... but is it worth the risk? Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod...

In this episode, we explore Australia’s infamous giant stinging tree ( Dendrocnide moroides ) and its neurotoxic hairs that cause agonizing pain. How fun(?)! 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...

Join us as we get weird with the Boojum tree ( Fouquieria columnaris ), a quirky desert oddball with some fascinating parenchyma. Plus, Casey reads an interminably long Lewis Carroll poem that gave this tree its name. 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...

Join us on a mysterious journey through time to discuss the Munz oak ( Quercus x munzii ), a curious hybrid of UNKNOWN ORIGIN! 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...

Join us for an afternoon chat under this gorgeous Western sycamore ( Platanus racemosa ) and hear about what Casey and Alex and reflecting on lately. 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 Barthol...

Dam! Let’s talk about them, and about the China-fir ( Cunninghamia lanceolata ) and the ingenious agroforestry methods of the Kam people of China. 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 M...

The Fabulous, Funny, Smart, and Warm woman we all love, ALIE WARD graces the podcast today. We can hardly believe it. Alie was a very important part of the early success of Completely Arbortrary and we forever admire her! Among many other job titles, Alie is the host and creator of Ologies ! Please enjoy. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod...

“I’d rather see a smoke tree than a tree smoking.” Enter the American smoketree ( Cotinus obovatus ), a beautiful little tree that was nearly used to extinction. 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 Jil...

Welcome to the Alternative Sex Experience, featuring the striped maple ( Acer pensylvanicum ). In our continued discussion on dioecy, this one takes a curiously sexual turn. 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 Cove...

It’s beginning to look a lot like… an invasive pokey nightmare, with the English holly ( Ilex aquafolium ). Learn all about dioeciousness, and what makes this hot new sexual fad so successful! 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...

Just another arborvitae, the Leyland cypress ( Cupressus × leylandii et al) has to be one of the most deplorable species we’ve investigated on Completely Arbortrary. Learn all about this tree’s poorest qualities, then join us for a segment of Slang Game! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Instagr...

The Great Fire of 1910 greatly changed the (literal) landscape of northern Idaho, as well as the continent’s population of western white pine ( Pinus monitcola ). What followed was one of the most successful and dangerous marketing campaigns in US history. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on Insta...