My Favorite Trees

Send a text As Kentucky celebrates its 230th birthday as a state, we will celebrate one of the strangest legal disputes in American history. For decades, Kentuckians fought over what should be their state tree between the Tulip-Poplar and the Kentucky Coffeetree. Find out why residents of this state became so divided over the matter and hear about how I side on the matter. Music is by Academy Gard...

Send a text Chocolate. That's it, that's the episode. This is the tree that gives us one of my greatest joys in life--learn about where it comes from, how it was worshipped, and how it's made today. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast.

Send a text The Longleaf Pine is a tree that once covered great expanses of the Gulf and Atlantic coastal states of the US. But now, these trees only occupy 3% of their original native range. What made this tree so incredible and why did it almost disappear? Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast.

Send a text 2022 marks 150 years since the first modern Arbor Day was celebrated in the state of Nebraska. We are honoring this occasion by looking into the history of Birdsey Northrop, the unsung hero of Arbor Day, who helped popularize the idea both in the US and internationally. And we'll learn about how tree planting holidays are celebrated in different countries around the world. Music i...

Send a text Spring is here and that means it's time to celebrate Spring flowers. One of my favorite flowers belongs to a plant known as the Rhododendron. In this episode, I'll talk about the role it has played in the history of gardening as well as in the secret language of flowers. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter...

Send a text  Eucalyptus is a genus of around 700 trees and shrubs that call Australia and southeast Asia home. Hear about their wonderful fragrance, their vibrant colors, and their penchant for committing arson. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Find me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast. 

Send a text  This episode covers the Oak species native to the United States. This incredibly diverse group of trees comes with an incredible history--from bourbon barrels to warships to murder mysteries, find out what makes the Oak so inherently American. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees or on Instagram @tr...

Send a text  This episode celebrates the birthdays of two park rangers who have inspired my own path as a ranger. To make both their dreams come true, we are talking about both the Limber Pine and the Walking Palm. These two are very different trees that tend to get less time in the spotlight compared to some of their relatives. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagr...

Send a text The Juniper is a tree that can be found from the highest peaks to the doctor's office to the...bathtub? Medicine, food, gin, and more, these trees are incredibly useful but seem to hold surprisingly little symbolism throughout history. But they do come with some interesting superstition as well as a rant from me about what we call their cones! Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art...

Send a text In this break from format, I discuss my first broader forestry-related topic: forest fires. Fire is a part of this world that is important to both humans and forest ecology. But due to a century of strict fire suppression and the effects of climate change, wildfires have been having hugely negative effects on the American West in the last two decades. Here, I'll give a history of...

Send a text Sundown on January the 16th marks the beginning of Tu B'Shevat 2022. For the second year in a row, I've decided to celebrate this Jewish Tree New Year by covering one of the Seven Species of Israel. This time, it's the olive's turn. Olive trees have held importance to humans for thousands of years—not just as a food source but also for the many uses of olive oil as...

Send a text  We're once again revisiting the Celtic Ogham Tree calendar to finally cover the first month, named for the Birch Tree. This tree's symbolism of regeneration has made it a perfect tree to kick off the new year and its beauty and usefulness have made it well-loved throughout the northern hemisphere. You'll finally learn what my very favorite tree is and hear my opinions o...

Send a text There's more than one December holiday that centers around a tree! Bodhi Day celebrates that day when Siddhartha Gautama sat under a Bodhi Tree, achieved Enlightenment, and became the Buddha. Find out how this tree helped start a new religion and how you can celebrate this holiday in the modern-day. Music is by Acadamy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me...

Send a text We know how the Sugar Maple became so famous, but what about all the other Maples? Hear how the rest of the Maple trees have influenced cultures around the world. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text The Cedar of Lebanon is a symbol of national pride featured on its home country's flag and in the oldest preserved human legends. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text In the third and final installment of my fruit series, I talk about the Apple Tree. The apple is perhaps the oldest cultivated and most well-known fruit in the world.  What symbolism has a tree so long in our culture earned and how did apple pie become so intertwined with American culture? Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and...

Send a text Part 2 of my fruit tree series is about the Coconut Tree. The coconut is synonymous with island time—warm breezes and chill vibes. Hear how these long, skinny trees became an iconic feature of warm beaches around the world. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text In this part of my fruit tree series, I discuss the origin of citrus fruits. The citron is one such tree that has influenced multiple religions and has sired many of the modern citruses we know today. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text The Ginkgo is an incredibly fascinating species that has changed relatively little over the last 200 million years. Where are its relatives and how did this fossil survive? Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text How old is the oldest living organism? Bristlecone Pines can live for thousands of years and their ancient forms have taught us much about our past. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text This will be the last Celtic Ogham Tree I cover for the rest of this year. Hazelnuts have served as an important food source for humans since the early days of settlement on the British Isles. It now exists as a symbol of wisdom and plays a key role in the introduction of Ireland's greatest hero. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on...

Send a text On the island of Socotra, there lives a tree that looks unlike any other and bleeds red blood. Learn what this tree can teach us about a dead ecosystem and what we can do to save other ecosystems in the face of man-made climate change. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text The 8th month of the Celtic Ogham Tree Calendar is named for the Holly. But isn't the Holly a symbol of Christmastime? Why do we see it represented by a summer month? Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text No one loves a tree as much as Ohioans love their Buckeyes. How did this infatuation come to be and what has it driven them to do? Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text The oak is a symbol of strength—throughout time and in every culture that lives alongside it. Hear how this imposing European tree connects our ancient mythologies. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.