Completely Arbortrary

A fascinating tree with no shortage of fun facts, the Chinese-nutmeg ( Torreya grandis) is a cornerstone of Chinese history and traditional medicine. And man, is it yummy (we think)! 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 web...

We continue our plant-based diet with a giant of the culinary world, the tamarind ( Tamarindus indica ). Whether in chamoy or pad thai, this sweet pea is the darling of many a regional cuisine, worldwide! 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 additio...

You think ice cream grows on trees?! The ice-cream bean ( Inga edulis) is one of nature’s greatest gifts to humanity. This agroforestry behemoth is South America’s fruity answer to sweet-toothed nature enthusiasts. And what is a fruit, anyway? 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 Arb...

This is Plant-Based Diet: Part Chew, a new series from Completely Arbortrary all about trees that give us food! In this episode, we discuss the sapodilla ( Manilkara zapota ) a tree that gives us not one, but TWO delicious treats: fruit and gum. 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...

Did ants invent agriculture? Kind of, yes! Learn how in this itchy episode on South America’s own almécega ( Protium heptaphyllum ). 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...

Hardship strikes the house of Arbortrary, so please enjoy this bonus episode all about our favorite process in nature, photosynthesis! 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...

No, it's not a Tree. But, it is a tree. The black tree fern has some incredible qualities, not least of which is the way it creates more ferns. Get ready to hear about some FREAKY stuff. 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...

About 1600 years ago, a group of refugees settled on a mucky swath of land that would one day be known as Venice. What followed is one of the greatest marvels of human engineering: a city built entirely on trees in water. Enter European alder ( Alnus glutinosa ), an ordinary tree with an extraordinary role in history. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Sup...

In this bonus episode, hear all about how Casey became Casey. His schooling, career trajectory, and the fated beginning of Completely Arbortrary. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Sorry, it’s a fir thing. The white fir ( Abies concolor ) is no simple tree. It’s a part of broader complex of trees. What does this mean for in the context of its taxonomy? Well… it’s complex. 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...

A tower of clouds in the forests of Chile, and the center of a dendrochronological scandal, the Alerce ( Fitzroya cupressoides ) is a monolithic beauty and officially the giant sequoia of the south. 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...

What happens when good trees go bad? You get the laurel oak ( Quercus laurifolia ), a suitable template oak with a bad habit. Living in the wild, this tree does its thing as well as it can, but this Midnight Cowboy wasn't cut out for the big city. 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...

After living a life of stem for the last 7 weeks, we need a break! So this week, you get a bonus episode: what is a leaf? In this episode from 2021 we discuss what a leaf is, how they grow, and some defining characteristics. To coincide with this bonus episode, we are expanding our CONE CLUB to include our very first--you guessed it--LEAF! The Bur Oak leaf illustrated by Caylin Jayde. We hope you...

A grass so interesting it earned a spot on Completely Arbortrary, giant dragon bamboo ( Dendrocalamus sinicus ) is a stunningly large species with no shortage of interesting quirks. But… is it a tree, or does it look on enviously. Listen now to the exciting conclusion of Seven Deadly Stems! Then, listen for a segment of Trail Snacks, where we eat something we’ve wanted to try for years. Completely...

Pride, the downfall of many an ancient Greek hero, is the subject of today’s Deadly Stem. As is the Ohio Buckeye ( Aesculus glabra ). How did this underwhelming tree become a regional icon? 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...

An oft-reviled tree, the Russian-olive ( Elaeagnus angustifolia ) is the quintissential greedy little bastard. Its invasiveness is infamous, and the disappointments it presents are seemingly endless. Then we answer a listener question about “Stumpy”! 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...

Are you sensitive? Do you show aggression when you're afraid or perceiving some sort of attack? Do you have a mercenary army of ants at your disposal to dispact at the first sign of aggression against you? Then you might just be a bullhorn acacia ( Vachellia cornigera ). Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow...

The common fig ( Ficus carica ): one of humanity’s first food obsessions. From covering Adam’s junk to covering other Eve’s junk, this plant has no shortage of cultural import. But does it deserve the valor it’s flaunted for hundreds of years? 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 Arb...

*Yawn*. The weeping willow ( Salix babylonica ) is one of the most recognized trees in the world, but boy is it lazy! Learn about the questionable roots (ha) of this tree and what makes it such a beautiful mess. Then we answer a question from 12-year-old Gus! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on In...

We are honored to be joined by author, illustrator, and overall bird-and-tree-advocate DAVID ALLEN SIBLEY! We talk to David about his process, whether he's an artist first or a bird lover first, and have him describe a bird perpetrator to us as we sketch from his description! To hear and see the full discussion later this week, become a Treemium Member at arbortrarypod.supercast.com Completely Arb...

The Coco-de-mer ( Lodoicea maldivica ) is the most sexual tree on the planet, and we’re out to prove it. Listen to find out how this lusty tree is the perfect example of this deadly stem in this, our first episode of 7 Deadly Stems. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Do you inherit strong muscles, deft fingers, or musical talent? Jean-Baptiste Lamarck sure thought so… and groundbreaking research suggests he may have been right! One of the central characters of this study is this week’s tree, the snow gum ( Eucalyptus pauciflora ) Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow alo...

Feeling rusty? The western serviceberry sure is ( Amelanchier alnifolia ). In this episode, we discuss the russ(t) and how it affects our arboreal friends. 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 B...

The pondero— we mean, the Rocky Mountain Pine ( Pinus scopulorum ) asks us the ultimate version of the question: are you a lumper or a splitter? 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 Mus...

There is a shakeup in the bird world: ornithologists are renaming every bird whose common name is based on a human! So why can't we do this for trees? We can, and do, in this bonus episode unlocked from our support platform Completely Arbortrary Treemium! Become a Treemium member today and unlock a treasure trove of cool rewards at arbortrarypod.supercast.com Completely Arbortrary is produced and...