My Favorite Trees

Send a text In this episode, I talk about the Lime Tree—not the green citrus, but a tree known as the Basswood or Linden. This tree symbolized love in Greco-Roman culture, justice and peace in Germanic Tribes, and holds similar importance to this day. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text Before I switch to scheduled episodes every other week, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the first 6 months of this show and answer questions from you, the listeners. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text The back half of this Spice Tree series is about the trees found on the Spice Islands of Indonesia, where we get nutmeg, mace, and clove. Find out why Dutch colonialism makes me sad every time I open my spice cabinet! Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text In the first half of my spice tree series, I introduce the stories that Arab traders used to build a monopoly of mystery around cinnamon and pepper. What happens when their secret origins are discovered by Europeans? Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text This week is the United State's observance of Arbor Day. Hear the story of how this tree-planting holiday came to be and learn about a tree with terrific importance to the native tribes and pioneers who lived in the Great Plains. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text The episode celebrates the fifth month of the Celtic Ogham Tree Calendar, the Willow Moon. The Willow is a tree known throughout the world as a symbol of femininity, magic, and grief. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees. 

Send a text Another listener requested tree, the Laurel has continued to be a mainstay in various cultures thanks to its symbolism of achievement, uses in the kitchen, and root for several common names. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees. Special thanks to Fesliyan Studios for some sound effects in this episod...

Send a text A listener-requested tree! The Hemlocks of North America are conifers known for their flexibility and ability to withstand harsh winters. Find out what stories indigenous peoples had about these evergreens and let me know what trees you want to hear about in future episodes! Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFa...

Send a text Delicious fruit, lovely spring flowers, and gorgeous wood. Cherry trees serve many purposes to humans around the world, but where do they come from and what do we mean when we say "cherry?" Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text We are now in month four of the Celtic Ogham Calendar, the Alder Moon! This semi-aquatic tree is tied to the Spring Equinox, fairies, the floating city of Venice, and more. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text We're turning the podcast on its head this week and instead talking about one of my LEAST favorite trees. Come listen to me rant about smelly flowers and brittle wood. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text This is part two of my biggest trees two-parter. This week I talk about the world's largest living thing by volume, the Giant Sequoia. Native to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevadas of California, this giant inspired a series of land conservation efforts. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Find me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text This is part one of my miniseries about the world's biggest trees. This week I talk about the world's tallest tree, the Coast Redwood. Native to the foggy northern California coast, this tree can grow to be almost 400ft tall and forms some of the most out-of-this-world forests. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter @MyFa...

Send a text This week we continue to discuss the trees of the Celtic Ogham Calendar. Ashes are trees found across the Northern Hemisphere and have influenced culture and language heavily both in Europe and North America. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text This episode is about our first southern hemisphere tree: The Baobab! This utterly strange looking tree is a source of food and medicine for the people of Africa as well as a source for many different stories. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text This episode takes us to the Pacific Northwest to talk about one of the western giants, the Sitka Spruce. Aside from being one of the biggest trees in the world, the Sitka Spruce is also noteworthy for its roles in tribal cultures, the Alaskan economy, and the 20th century World Wars. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter @MyFavor...

Send a text According to the Celtic Ogham Calendar, we are in the month known as the Rowan Moon. This episode is about the Rowan, its magical properties, and the role it’s played in religions across northern Europe. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text This week features the Jewish holiday Tu B'shevat, a sort of Tree New Year. To celebrate, I am talking about one of the Seven Species of the Jewish faith, the Pomegranate. This small tree is extensively tied to human history, considering it was one of the first fruits cultivated by humans. Hear the story of its long journey and celebrate Tree New Year with me. Music is by Academy...

Send a text This episode is about the tragedy of the American Chestnut. A species once 4 billion trees strong and integral feature of Appalachian culture now critically endangered and functionally extinct. Please consider donating to the American Chestnut Foundation to help bring this piece of America back.

Send a text Known as the Strangler Fig and the Walking tree, the Banyan is an iconic feature of the country of India and holds extensive symbolism throughout Hindu culture. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text In this episode, I talk about one of the most loved trees of the American South. The Southern Magnolia has played an important role in the study of prehistoric plants and has been featured as an iconic piece of US presidential history. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees.

Send a text In this episode, I talk about evergreens and the roles they've played in winter holidays throughout history. Then I talk about how those traditions have developed into the modern day and discuss what I think makes for the perfect Christmas Tree. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter @MyFavorite Trees.

Send a text In this episode, I talk about the Aspen, a tree with incredibly unique biological adaptations that holds great importance in the realm of forest conservation. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees. Special thanks to fesliyanstudios.com for a fun audio clip.

Send a text In this episode I talk about the Princess Tree. Native to East Asia, this tree is planted worldwide for its lovely Spring flowers and also played an interesting role in the marriage practices of China and Japan. Theme music is by Academy Garden, cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram, I am @MyFavoriteTrees on Twitter.

Send a text In this episode, I tell you all about the Eastern White Pine and the role it played as a catalyst for the American Revolution. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees.