When a tree is clearly a god, we don’t question it. This week we head to the northern tip of the North Island of New Zealand and revel in the divinity of the kauris, the towering forest giants who are only outmatched in size by the sequoias and redwoods half a world away. Then we take another kid listener question. Alex is tired!

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

Cover art by Jillian Barthold

Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Permafrost! Phototropism! Thigmomorphogenesis! Big terms with big ideas abound in this boreal episode of Completely Arbortrary, as we trek through the frozen woods of Canada to find the battered and bendy black spruce. We even premiere a brand new segment featuring you, our Fungal Associates. Let’s get tipsy!

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

Cover art by Jillian Barthold

Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Q: A killer, a nursemaid, and a fruit peddler walk into a bar. The barkeep says, “Table for one?” How is this possible? A: The Banyan tree. This week, we have a BIG episode talking about India’s own Banyan tree, and all the hats it wears.

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

Cover art by Jillian Barthold

Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The tree that helped forge the civilizations of the Mediterranian, and maybe built the mythical Ark, this week we head to the Mountains of Turkey and Lebanon to discuss the Cedar of Lebanon. Join us to hear about this true cedar and its outsized impact on our world.

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

Cover art by Jillian Barthold

Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do giraffes make trees taller, or the trees make giraffes’ necks longer? This week, we cover the iconic umbrella thorn tree (Vachellia tortilis) of the African savannahs and talk about how evolution may or may not work.

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

Cover art by Jillian Barthold

Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A portal to other worlds, the home of faeries, or the flower that sparks a little twinkle in your eye, the common hawthorn is a tree that is as understated as it is revered. This spring bloomer is planted all over the world as a street tree, and grows commonly in the forests and hedgerows of Europe and the UK. Ushering in the season of productivity and all the fun of warming weather, this is surely a tree that has earned its reputations and representations, for good or evil.

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

Cover art by Jillian Barthold

Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kon'nichiwa! This week we jet over to Japan to discuss a gorgeous, renowned, and cultivated-like-heck tree, the Japanese cherry (Prunus serrulata). Dive deep into cultivar(ism) with us while we talk about Shinto, picnics, and painting with nature. As always, we finish the whole shebang with a listener question.

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

Cover art by Jillian Barthold

Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The first episode of the Spring 2021 Collection: a Global Traverse. This week we travel to the southern hemisphere to dive into what makes the monkey puzzle tree so dang interesting. From ancient roots to endemic speciation, we chat about this relic from another time. Then we play a new game. Welcome back!

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

Cover art by Jillian Barthold

Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's season 2 of Completely Arbortrary! They (Alex) said we couldn't make it! This season we're globetrotting to talk about a smattering of international trees.

Support the pod and become a Treemium Member

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s the end of our first season and, to celebrate, we’re talking about a blooming beauty with a perfect flower, the Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora). Mr. Bean beetles, ancient sex organs, and one intelligent flower that knows how to get it done. Then we play a fun game about ancient Greek gods and answer a listener question. See you next season!

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

Cover art by Jillian Barthold

Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.