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

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LAST EPISODE

Disney & Land (Canary Islan...

09.28.2023

What was the “happiest place on Earth” before it was Disneyland? And what is it before that? We go back in time today to explore the dark history of the changes of this land from indigenous river people to farmland ...

Completely Arbortrary episodes:

09.28.2023 Disney & Land (Canary Island Date Palm) What was the “happiest place on Earth” before it was Disneyland? And what is it before that? We go back in time today to explore the dark history of the changes of this land from indigenous river people to farmland ...
09.21.2023 SWEET NEEM! (Curry Leaf Tree) Sweet Neem! That’s right, today we’re talking all things Curry Leaf Tree (Murraya koenigii), and all things curry! This Indian tree is one of the most important trees in India, and one of the most delicous. You may even learn ...
09.14.2023 Call Me By Your Neem (Margosa) The Margosa (Azadirachta indica) is one of the world’s most magical trees. Why? It’s in the oil! We call it neem oil, and its benefits have been lauded for centuries, for humans and plants alike. And join us for a ...
09.07.2023 Extinct in the Wild (Franklinia) What does it mean to be “extinct in the wild”? Just ask the Franklinia (Franklinia alatamaha), who lives it existence only in arboretums and gardens. But it wasn’t always like this…. Then, we answer a question about TREE LAW.Completely Arbortrary ...
08.31.2023 Michael Rizo (Sourwood) A curious and very special relationship exists between the Sourwood (and its family) and the fungus that feeds it. Find out all about this ancient pact, and hear us wretch and spit our way through a very sour segment of ...
08.24.2023 Ms. Bee Haven (Silver Linden) Bees go to trees and get pollen on their knees. That tree is very likely a Silver linden (Tilia tomentosa). On this episode, we talk about bees. Unlike the last episode in which we talked about bees, this one has ...
08.17.2023 The Loneliest Tree (Sahara Cypress) One of the world’s lonliest and most critically endangered trees, the Sahara cypress (Cupressus dupreziana) stands nearly alone in the dead center of the mindblowingly vast Sahara desert in northern Africa. With only a handful of these trees left, we ...
08.10.2023 Cool Dudes, Hot Chicks (Beach Sheoak) When does a tree that seems to be able to provide so much good become a tree that is reviled for causing so much harm? Today’s subject is the beach sheoak (Casuarina equisetifolia) a tree that is loved and loathed ...
08.03.2023 BONUS EPISODE - Anthropomorphism Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex CrowsonJoin the Cone of the Month ClubSupport the show on PatreonFollow along on InstagramFind Arbortrary merch on our storeFind additional reading on our websiteCover art by Jillian BartholdMusic by ...
07.27.2023 Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi (Sacred Fig) The tree under which The Buddha sat and reached enlightenment, the sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) is one of the world’s most iconic trees. As an ending to our Summer Vacation series, we trip to Sri Lanka where we visit the ...
07.20.2023 Avenue of the Baobabs (Baobab) The Baobab! One of Africa’s most storied and mythological trees, the baobab (Adansonia grandidieri) is one tall, thicc mother. Learn about how this tree is the camel of the arboreal world, listen to the myths associated with its topsy-turvy appearance, ...
07.13.2023 Cotton Tree of Freetown (Kapok) This week we head to Sierra Leone and take a look at their famous kapok, the Cotton Tree of Freetown (Ceiba pentandra). The kapok is a tree that has had uses for humans for thousands of years, but the Cotton ...
07.06.2023 Árbol Del Tule (Montezuma Cypress) We’re going on a Summer Vacation! First stop, Oaxaca, Mexico, to visit the sacred and legendary Árbol del Tule (Montezuma cypress, Taxodium mucronatum). This glorious and massive tree sits squarely in a church courtyard, and has found its way into ...
06.29.2023 Perpetual Popularity (Colorado Blue Spruce) What makes a tree popular? What keeps a tree popular? Ask the Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens), whose commercial popularity has lasted decades with no sign of slowing down. The “Norm” to plant nurseries’ Cheers, this spruce is a common ...
06.22.2023 Desert Darling (Blue Palo Verde) Our desert darling, the Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida) might just be one of the most desert-adapted trees in the west. Named after a funny pharmacist, this desert dweller is a team player as much as it is a lone ...
06.12.2023 The Other Wood Talk (Alaska Yellow-Cedar) A tree of many names, the Alaska yellow-cedar is a quintissential conifer with a plethora of identities. And in this episode, we discuss the wood of conifers, and how it differs from the wood of its harder, more broad-leafed counterpart.Completely ...
06.08.2023 If You Like Paniculatas (Golden Raintree) If you like paniculatas, and getting caught in the golden rain, you’ll love this episode all about the golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata). An instant house favorite, this Chinese lantern tree marks Buddhist tombs, grows big but small, and makes ...
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). ...

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