Completely Arbortrary

By Completely Arbortrary

Education Comedy

What's Completely Arbortrary about?

Tree advocate Casey Clapp and his tree-curious friend Alex Crowson bring you a podcast about trees and other related topics. History, culture, art, religion, science... trees affect and are affected by everything. Join Casey and Alex on their silly and educational journey to prove it.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5803202/advertisement

Download our free app to listen on your phone

LAST EPISODE

Wood Talk (Northern Red Oak)

06.01.2023

In this woody episode of Completely Arbortrary, we discuss the jewel of the east, the Northern red oak (Quercus rubra). Wood facts, wood terminology, bad wood jokes—this is the episode that wood built!Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey ...

Completely Arbortrary episodes:

06.01.2023 Wood Talk (Northern Red Oak) In this woody episode of Completely Arbortrary, we discuss the jewel of the east, the Northern red oak (Quercus rubra). Wood facts, wood terminology, bad wood jokes—this is the episode that wood built!Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey ...
05.25.2023 Great Malus (Apple 2) In our final installment of Completely Arbortrary’s Excellent Adventure, we take it all the way back to the year 0, Kazakhstan, where we discuss the wolf to our apple’s dog, the Wolf apple (Malus sieversii). Today, we know apple as ...
05.18.2023 Northern White-Cedar (Arborvitae 2) A curse word ‘round these parts, the Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) is not a species in itself, but a cultivar of the great Northern white-cedar, a majestic and hearty tree of the North of America. This beauty can be found growing ...
05.11.2023 水杉 (Dawn Redwood 2) The dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) was once the water fir, a tree endemic to a small valley in China. But thanks to the likes of Chinese foresters, a Japanese paleobotanist, and American plant explorers, this tree is now a worldwide ...
05.04.2023 Episode II: Attack of the Cones (Douglas-fir 2) It’s Completely Arbortrary’s Excellent Adventure! To begin this journey through tree-time and tree-space, we revisit the crown of the Pacific Northwest and the very first tree we covered on this podcast, the Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). A long-lived tree with indigenous ...
04.27.2023 BONUS EPISODE - How Do Trees Die? CW: DeathStraight from the Patreon (patreon.com/arbortrarypod) we give you this HUGE two-parter-turned-one-parter episode on how trees die. What does it mean to "die"? And how is human death different than tree death? Hear all about the process and the philosophy ...
04.20.2023 Botreemian Sapsody (Kentucky Coffeetree) Oh, Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus), how we love you (please love us back). A tree living out of its time that makes every effort to thwart attention and interaction, the Kentucky coffeetree may be the most curmudgeonly tree ever discussed ...
04.13.2023 Burnt Wood Plank (Sugi) To conclude our miniseries on logging, we discuss sugi (Crytomeria japonica), a unique conifer that hails from the forests of Japan. In a nation spared by colonization, where tradition and modernity coexist, sugi and its growing and processing methods are ...
04.06.2023 Arboreal Corn (Monterey Pine) What do you get when you treat trees like corn? A plantation, of course. And a whole lot of Monterey pine (Pinus radiata). A tree that grows stubby and wonky in its native range, the Monterey pine grows like a ...
03.30.2023 Under The Tree (Jarrah) Welcome to Australia, land of strange plants. Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) is no exception! This superfluously hardwooded tree of the Darling Range of western Australia is home to many a marsupial, and sports an astronomically deep root system. But when it ...
03.23.2023 Wet Hot American Lumber (Eastern White Pine) Logging has seen a stark evolution since its origins. What started as a wildly dangerous and often deadly process done largely by hand is now a multibillion dollar industry fascilitated by manmade machines. Herein we meet our character, the Eastern ...
03.16.2023 Queen of the Canoe Crops (Noni) 1000 years ago, Polynesians reached the islands of Hawaii. On their seaworthy canoes were only a handful of plant species, but among them was the divisively flavorful botanical wonderdrug known as noni (Morinda citrifolia). Known for its funky flavors and ...
03.09.2023 The Tree's Knees (Bald Cypress) The devil went down to Georgia, where the Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) lives its days in peace and harmony. This record-breakingly long-lived tree found the perfect place to call home--the swamps of the Southeastern United States. There, it sheds stereotypes ...
03.02.2023 BONUS EPISODE - Non-Tree Food-Tree Food In this BONUS EPISODE from our Patreon (c. Treeson's Eatings 2022), we discuss three non-tree food plants we love eat during the holidays: vanilla, cranberries, and peppermint! While we take a breath after our SUCCESSION series, please enjoy this unlocked ...
02.23.2023 Late SUCCESSION (Yellow Carabeen) Late succession... the third and final act of a seemingly eternal stage play, and a self-perpetuating phase of the lifespan of a forest. The Yellow carabeen (Sloanea woollsii) dominates late succession in Australia. How and why is it so successful, ...
02.16.2023 Mid SUCCESSION (Red Alder) Weed tree? Or... the unsung hero of mid succession forests? The red alder (Alnus rubra) is our official representative from mid succession forests, and the lens through which we view this second phase, the early adulthood, of forest growth. There ...
02.09.2023 Early SUCCESSION (Staghorn Sumac) When a forest goes through a massive disturbance, little survives. We begin our journey here. What happens in the first stage of the succession of a forest? Learn in this episode through the eyes of the staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), ...
02.02.2023 Never Tell Me The Odds (Koa) Thick, thorough, and quite enjoyable, today's episode is all about the koa (Acacia koa) and its endemism on the 5 million year-old islands of Hawai'i. This special tree is unique in so many ways, we lost count: fake leaves, exploding ...
01.26.2023 Two Fir One (Subalpine Fir & Noble Fir) EPISODE 100! We truly made it. And to celebrate, we're joined not only by the obligatory Kool & The Gang, but by TWO true firs, the Subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) and the Noble fir (Abies procera). It's a two fir ...
01.19.2023 Sir Joseph Banks (Bull Banksia) A big flower with a big name. This week we discuss the bull banksia (Banksia grandis) and the prolific capitalist-botanist it’s named after, Sir Joseph Banks of the Royal Society. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and ...
01.12.2023 Conifer Wonderland (Brewer Spruce) What does it mean to be endemic? This. Tree. KNOWS. As does its homeland, the Klamath Mountains, a hotbed of endemic species. We chat with author and coniferman Michael Kauffmann about the Brewer spruce (Picea breweriana) and its unique place ...
01.05.2023 Everytree Everywhere All At Once (Red Maple) Happy New Year Fungal Associates! We bring you a simultaneously revered and reviled tree: the red maple (Acer rubrum). Learn how this megasuperstar got its start, and how it rose to be the Starbucks, Red Lobster, and the Chris Pratt ...
12.29.2022 Once And Future Quing (Quince) THE QUINCE (Cydonia oblonga), a legendary fruit of myth and magic, lost to time and erased from history by its usurper, the evil apple. This golden-apple has a rich history and an ever better taste. Please enjoy our LAST episode ...
12.22.2022 Triangle of Citrus (Mandarin Orange) We revisit the Triangle of Citrus to discuss a cornerstone of the shape, the Mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata). We talk etymology, genetic diversity and interbreeding before a visit from a pair of happy carolers. Merry Christmas! Completely Arbortrary is produced ...
12.15.2022 Big Nuts (Pecan) This week we take a trip down the Mississippi River and dive into the world of the pecan (Carya illinoinensis). Our second installment of Treeson's Eatings, we chat about where this nut came from, how it got to where it ...
12.08.2022 Monopoly: Portuguese Edition (Cinnamon) This week we take another dive into history and question if the true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) really stands up to its name. This is our first installment of Treeson's Eatings, so get your spoons ready and listen in! Completely Arbortrary ...
12.01.2022 BONUS EPISODE - Fungal Associated Press: Tree Truths & A Lie Enjoy this bonus episode as we take a quick break. We put out these episodes twice a month and they are available in our Patreon. So go check it out and hear more fabulous conversations about other related topics and ...
11.24.2022 Acorn-Eaters (White Oak) This week we bring you the Tom Hanks of the trees, the white oak (Quercus alba). We take a deep dive in how this ubiquitous tree has been a cultural icon since before the "first Thanksgiving" and see how it ...
11.17.2022 Green Pegs And CAM (Saguaro Cactus) This week, we really jump off the deep end and we throw off the yoke of traditional treedom. This week we're coving the saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea), a giant of its universe. Listen in for a look at what it ...
11.10.2022 The Tree Before Time 2 (Wollemi Pine) Wollemia nobilis, the conifer we didn't know existed. This week we discuss the Wollemi-pine, a tree before time, and its geological journey across the world. We also hear from Ian Allen from the Sydney Botanic Gardens on this tree and ...
11.03.2022 Rock Me, Mama (Longleaf Pine) Headed down south to the land of the pine, our journey this week takes us to the flats of North Caroline. The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) has a storied history that means a whole lot to a whole lot of ...
10.27.2022 Trunkenstein's Monster (Rainbow Wood) HAPPY HALLOWEEN! This week's tree is another elder that grew up in a different time, the rainbow wood (Araucarioxylon arizonicum). A fossil of a tree, we dig into what petrification actually is, and then we build ourselves a Trunkenstein's monster. ...
10.20.2022 Shrikopath (Thorn Mimosa) Last week we talked about a tree that has a unique--and deadly--relationship with birds. This week, the script is flipped and we hear about a bird that uses a tree to accomplish it gruesome agenda: the thorn mimosa (Vachellia nilotica). ...
10.13.2022 Birdcatcher (Pisonia) What happens when a temporary tattoo becomes permanent, and makes you permanently DEAD?! We find out in our most macabre episode yet coving the bird-catcher tree (Pisonia grandis). Join us this week as discuss this tree's unique means of spreading ...
10.06.2022 Liquid Amber Flows From It (Sweetgum) This week we present to you a case for and against the sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua). A tree that is lauded by some and loathed by others, we take sides and present the merits and demerits of the subject tree and ...
09.29.2022 BONUS EPISODE - Patreon Revamp & What is Phenology? Due to a host of circumstances, our regularly scheduled programming has been postponed to next week! HOWEVER, we're taking this opportunity to tell you all about our Patreon revamp! And to share a Patreon episode - What is Phenology! We ...
09.22.2022 The BLM (Bigleaf Maple) Close your eyes and imagine a maple leaf. What is it that defines the quintessential maple leaf? Well today, we chat about the bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) and dive into how that standard image of a maple leaf is as ...
09.15.2022 AKA (Serviceberry) A tree that has made no enemies, a tree that doesn't rock the boat, today's tree is the Canadian serviceberry, also knowns as the shad-blow, the shadbush, the bilberry, the juneberry (Amelanchier canadensis). This episode we have a classic fireside ...
09.08.2022 BONUS EPISODE - Tree Trek: Spring Day Alex and Casey go on a walkabout in the Overlook neighborhood of Portland to gander at some of the city's most gorgeous arboreal specimens. Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex CrowsonJoin the Cone of the ...
09.01.2022 Big Time Aroma (Indian Sandalwood) Today's story has us wondering who's the real victim. The Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) is a tree that has been used for millennia for cultural practices across the world, but it's also a tree that has its fair share of ...
08.25.2022 Keystone Species (Whitebark Pine) The grand finale in our symbiosis 4 Act play. In this special episode of Completely Arbortrary, we discuss the much beloved Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis). We’re joined by Peri Sasnett from the Glacier National Park Headwaters podcast to discuss where ...
08.18.2022 Ant Talk (Trumpet Tree) In our penultimate episode about the topic, we explore symbiosis across kingdoms, and dive into the relationship between the trumpet tree (Cercopia obtusifolia) and its evolutionary partners, Azteca ants. Then we reveal a new game! Completely Arbortrary is produced and ...
08.11.2022 Koyamaki (Japanese Umbrella-Pine) What happens when the guy who makes you pizza moves in and makes you pizza in your own kitchen--forever? Today, we get at that question and how it relates to cells in cells in cells in a tree that looks ...
08.04.2022 Archaeondronology (Andean Alder) How many characters can one introduce in one episode? Today we find out. The Andean alder (Alnus acuminata) takes us on a journey through time and space as we take on our first foray into a series dedicated to symbiosis ...
07.28.2022 The Suburbs (Purple Leaf Plum) What does the purpleleaf plum (Prunus cerasifera 'Thundercloud') represent for you? For Casey and Alex, it's the suburbs, and boy do they despise it. This week, we get a little snippet of American History and hear about how the suburbs ...
07.21.2022 Queuña (Andean Paper Tree) There are more than 20 species of Polylepis shrubs and trees. At the highest altitudes (upwards of 16,000 feet, they grow as small shrubs. Lower, they can grow up 120 feet. So this forest is a bit unique, and we ...
07.14.2022 The Cult of St. Francis (Judas Tree) Should Man hold dominion over nature? And where did this idea come from? What got us in our current environmental mess in the first place. Today we talk the Judas Tree (Cercis siliquastrum) and tackle some BIG picture stuff too. ...
07.07.2022 Why-Would-You-Live-There-ness (Madrone) A tree that truly grows its own way, the Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii) is a prolific grower and a gorgeous shower. Listen along as we discuss this curious beauty and the special place it’s found in the world. Completely Arbortrary ...
06.30.2022 Heavy Heaven & The Infamous Air (London Planetree) Can a tree help you be smarter? This week we dive into that question and discuss how air pollution effects our brains, and how trees can help keep us operating at our top level. After our rating, we head LIVE ...
06.23.2022 Wrongfully Scorned, Rightfully Wronged (Black Cottonwood) This week we have our work cut out for us. The black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) is our tree of topic, and there's no getting around it: it's an emotional roller coaster that pulls us in every direction at once. Listen ...

Older episodes