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!

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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

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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)!

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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!

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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?

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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

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Did ants invent agriculture? Kind of, yes! Learn how in this itchy episode on South America’s own almécega (Protium heptaphyllum).

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Hardship strikes the house of Arbortrary, so please enjoy this bonus episode all about our favorite process in nature, photosynthesis!

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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.

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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.

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Cover art by Jillian Barthold

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