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…

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 a…

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 Crow…

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 …

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 …

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 ou…

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 questi…

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…

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 additi…

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…

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 Cov…

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 rea…

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 readin…

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…

“I’d rather see a smoketree 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 add…

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 s…

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 Arbort…

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…

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 an…

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 merc…

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…

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 T…

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 …

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 websi…

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 w…

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…

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 produce…

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 Arbor…

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 som…

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 Arbortrar…

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 beco…

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 Sup…

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 Tr…

*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…

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 Me…

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-…

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…

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 addition…

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 o…

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.su…

Everyone gets S.A.D. from time to time, so it's a good thing we have the witch-hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia), a tree (or shrub) that flowers in the darkest, dreariest months of the year. It's going to be okay. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium Member Follow along on I…

Welcome to Completely Arbortrary, you’re gonna LEARRRRN all about the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa). On this episode as diverse in “fun facts” as the jungle is in species, we talk all about the Brazil nut (seed). Stay tuned for talk all about this fascinating species and the work going into preserving it and its home. Featuring Rhett and Daniel…

Oh this juniper is ever so western (Juniperus occidentalis). When it comes to ecological turmoil, when is it okay to blame a tree, and when should we blame ourselves? That’s the question we ask ourselves today with this “Greedy” tree. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson Support the pod and become a Treemium …

Meet Phyllis Reynolds: original Portland Heritage Tree committee member, author of Trees of Greater Portland, and overall hardcore tree advocate. We sat down with Phyllis in the living room of her beautiful NW Portland home on the outskirts of Hoyt Arboretum, where she is a local legend and her name is spoken with mirthful reverence. To hear the fu…

Fancy a game of conkers? No? Well how about a conversation about the ins and outs of arboriculture, and how it relates to the European horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)? Hear Casey’s first-hand experience regarding how to become an arborist, and what an arborist actually is! Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex …

A tree with no (officiall common) name, the Falcatifolium taxoides is a derivative tree from the island of New Caledonia. It’s yew-ish, it’s sickle-like, and it’s a PODOCARP. Plus, it has a curious leech of a friend who depends on it for everything—the world’s only parasitic gymnosperm. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp an…