Completely Arbortrary
Episodes
What is Arboriculture? (European Horsechestnut)
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 (...
Parasite (This Week's Tree)
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 sick...
The Birds & The Trees (Rimu)
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time for that special talk… about the rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum) and its special friend and lover the Kākāpō. This bird bases its entire...
Podocarps (Totara)
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
PODOCARPS! Never have we ever discussed one of its ilk, much to the chagrin of thousands, we’re sure. And to start our mini-series of New Zealand tr...
Butterfly Talk! (Oyamel)
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever seen a column of gold (orange)? It may just be an oyamel (Abies religiosa), the sacred fir. Every year countless Monarch butterflies pil...
Princess Mononoke (Hinoki)
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can we interest you in a forest bath? On the series finale of Treeyazaki, we discuss Princess Mononoke and the hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa). ...
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Japanese Fir)
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does a nuclear disaster do to trees? Find out on this episode of Treeyazaki, where we discuss the Miyazaki film Nausicaa of the Valley of the Win...
My Neighbor Totoro (Camphor)
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who is Totoro? They’re a spirit, a kami, of a massive camphor tree. In this episode of Treeyazaki, we talk legendary animated film My Neighbor Totor...
Spirited Away (Sakaki)
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Completely Arbortrary’s Treeyazaki, a month-long exploration of the trees of Studio Ghibli and films of Hayao Miyazaki! To start our jour...
The Future of Completely Arbortrary
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Support the pod and become a Treemium MemberFollow along on InstagramFind Arbortrary merch on our storeFind additional reading on our websiteCove...
BONUS EPISODE - Treeyazaki Trailer, Big Announcement, & Appendices
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this BONUS EPISODE of Completely Arbortrary, hear the first trailer for our new December theme month: TREEYAZAKI, a month-long exploration of the t...
Preservation (Incense-Cedar)
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
PRESERVATION! Join us for a conversation on preservation, John Muir, and the incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens).Completely Arbortrary is produced an...
Conservation (Oregon Myrtle)
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
CONSERVATION! What is it? And how does it differ from preservation? Have you been using them interchangeably too? Well, no longer! In this episode, we...
Invasion of the Gaudy Statures (Norway Maple)
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With great distaste we present to you the Norway maple (Acer platanoides). This suburbanite tree of many faces is very popular, which might be the bes...
Poppin' Bottles (Cork Oak)
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re poppin’ bottles on this very corky episode of Completely Arbortrary. Learn all about the cork oak (Quercus suber) and the dehesas of Spain a...
Fun Facts (Ghost Pine)
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“A great tree, that is kind of grey!” The ghost pine (Pinus sabiniana) is one of earth’s most spookiest trees, and chock full of curiosities in ...
The Stick Sense (Honey Locust)
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It lurks in the dark, and it sees the darkness…. The honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), like most trees, has a stick sense. How does it perceive ...
Laurisilva (Canary Island Laurel)
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A million year old forest, the Laurisilva of Madeira are stunning ecosystems trapped in time and untouched by humanity. At the center of this forest i...
BONUS EPISODE - Anthropomorphism
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex CrowsonSupport the pod and become a Treemium MemberFollow along on Instagram...
Disney & Land (Canary Island Date Palm)
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
SWEET NEEM! (Curry Leaf Tree)
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Call Me By Your Neem (Margosa)
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 l...
Extinct in the Wild (Franklinia)
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to be “extinct in the wild”? Just ask the Franklinia (Franklinia alatamaha), who lives it existence only in arboretums and garde...
Michael Rizo (Sourwood)
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 pac...
Ms. Bee Haven (Silver Linden)
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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. Unlik...
The Loneliest Tree (Sahara Cypress)
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the world’s loneliest and most critically endangered trees, the Sahara cypress (Cupressus dupreziana) stands nearly alone in the dead center ...
Cool Dudes, Hot Chicks (Beach Sheoak)
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
BONUS EPISODE - Anthropomorphism
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex CrowsonSupport the pod and become a Treemium MemberFollow along on Instagram...
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi (Sacred Fig)
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 endin...
Avenue of the Baobabs (Baobab)
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Baobab! One of Africa’s most storied and mythological trees, the baobab (Adansonia grandidieri) is one tall, thicc mother. Learn about how this ...
Cotton Tree of Freetown (Kapok)
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 h...
Árbol Del Tule (Montezuma Cypress)
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re going on a Summer Vacation! First stop, Oaxaca, Mexico, to visit the sacred and legendary Árbol del Tule (Montezuma cypress, Taxodium mucrona...
Perpetual Popularity (Colorado Blue Spruce)
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a tree popular? What keeps a tree popular? Ask the Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens), whose commercial popularity has lasted decades wit...
Desert Darling (Blue Palo Verde)
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 phar...
The Other Wood Talk (Alaska Yellow-Cedar)
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A tree of many names, the Alaska yellow-cedar (Cupressus nootkatensis) is a quintessential conifer with a plethora of identities. And in this episode,...
If You Like Paniculatas (Golden Raintree)
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you like paniculatas, and getting caught in the golden rain, you’ll love this episode all about the golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata). A...
Wood Talk (Northern Red Oak)
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this woody episode of Completely Arbortrary, we discuss the jewel of the east, the Northern red oak (Quercus rubra). Wood facts, wood terminology, ...
Great Malus (Apple 2)
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Northern White-Cedar (Arborvitae 2)
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
水杉 (Dawn Redwood 2)
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Episode II: Attack of the Cones (Douglas-fir 2)
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Completely Arbortrary’s Excellent Adventure! To begin this journey through tree-time and tree-space, we revisit the crown of the Pacific Nort...
BONUS EPISODE - How Do Trees Die?
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Botreemian Sapsody (Kentucky Coffeetree)
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Burnt Wood Plank (Sugi)
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To conclude our miniseries on logging, we discuss sugi (Crytomeria japonica), a unique conifer that hails from the forests of Japan. In a nation spare...
Arboreal Corn (Monterey Pine)
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 an...
Under The Tree (Jarrah)
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Australia, land of strange plants. Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) is no exception! This superfluously hardwooded tree of the Darling Range o...
Wet Hot American Lumber (Eastern White Pine)
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 multib...
Queen of the Canoe Crops (Noni)
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 divi...
The Tree's Knees (Bald Cypress)
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The devil went down to Georgia, where the Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) lives its days in peace and harmony. This record-breakingly long-lived tre...
BONUS EPISODE - Non-Tree Food-Tree Food
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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, cr...
Late SUCCESSION (Yellow Carabeen)
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ca...
Mid SUCCESSION (Red Alder)
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Weed tree? Or... the unsung hero of mid succession forests? The red alder (Alnus rubra) is our official representative from mid succession forests, an...
Early SUCCESSION (Staghorn Sumac)
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 f...
Never Tell Me The Odds (Koa)
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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....
Two Fir One (Subalpine Fir & Noble Fir)
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Sir Joseph Banks (Bull Banksia)
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Jos...
Conifer Wonderland (Brewer Spruce)
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Everytree Everywhere All At Once (Red Maple)
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Happy New Year Fungal Associates! We bring you a simultaneously revered and reviled tree: the red maple (Acer rubrum). Learn how this megasuperstar go...
Once And Future Quing (Quince)
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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-ap...
Triangle of Citrus (Mandarin Orange)
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We revisit the Triangle of Citrus to discuss a cornerstone of the shape, the Mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata). We talk etymology, genetic diversity...
Big Nuts (Pecan)
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 Ea...
Monopoly: Portuguese Edition (Cinnamon)
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 insta...
BONUS EPISODE - Fungal Associated Press: Tree Truths & A Lie
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
Acorn-Eaters (White Oak)
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 i...
Green Pegs And CAM (Saguaro Cactus)
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 giga...
The Tree Before Time 2 (Wollemi Pine)
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Rock Me, Mama (Longleaf Pine)
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 st...
Trunkenstein's Monster (Rainbow Wood)
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
Shrikopath (Thorn Mimosa)
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 tha...
Birdcatcher (Pisonia)
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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-c...
Liquid Amber Flows From It (Sweetgum)
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 tak...
BONUS EPISODE - Patreon Revamp & What is Phenology?
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Due to a host of circumstances, our regularly scheduled programming has been postponed to next week! HOWEVER, we're taking this opportunity to tell yo...
The BLM (Bigleaf Maple)
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 mac...
AKA (Serviceberry)
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 shadb...
BONUS EPISODE - Tree Trek: Spring Day
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Big Time Aroma (Indian Sandalwood)
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 p...
Keystone Species (Whitebark Pine)
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The grand finale in our symbiosis 4 Act play. In this special episode of Completely Arbortrary, we discuss the much beloved Whitebark pine (Pinus albi...
Ant Talk (Trumpet Tree)
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our penultimate episode about the topic, we explore symbiosis across kingdoms, and dive into the relationship between the trumpet tree (Cercopia ob...
Koyamaki (Japanese Umbrella-Pine)
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 rel...
Archaeondronology (Andean Alder)
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 spa...
The Suburbs (Purple Leaf Plum)
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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. ...
Queuña (Andean Paper Tree)
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Cult of St. Francis (Judas Tree)
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ta...
Why-Would-You-Live-There-ness (Madrone)
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
Heavy Heaven & The Infamous Air (London Planetree)
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Wrongfully Scorned, Rightfully Wronged (Black Cottonwood)
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Dagger of the Desert (Joshua Tree)
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join us this week where the trees have no name. But this one does! It’s Joshua! Learn all about yuccas on our last of three monocotic adventures.Com...
There Be Monocots (Socotra Dragon Blood Tree)
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our quest to further define "tree" continues with the STUNNING Socotra Dragon Blood Tree (Dracaena cinnabari). We talk all about this unique, altruist...
"Tree" (Chinese Windmill Palm)
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly isn't a tree? This week we cover the other side of the controversy coin with a discussion on the Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fort...
Trees Are The Champions, My Friends (Tuliptree)
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the biggest trees around, the tuliptree is an ancient species and a champion of the people. Learn all about the arbitrary intricacies of measur...
Drupe Fruit Riot (Peach)
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The fruit that went ‘round the world, and the fruit that we both like the best, this week we are covering the peach tree (Prunus persica). However, ...
Please Send Us Pawpaws! (Pawpaw)
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A fruit tree that has been in all the right places with all the right stuff, the pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a folk hero among fruits. But that's not ...
Take a Twenty, Leave a Penny (Dogwood)
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is a penny worth? This is the philosophical question we grapple with today as we debate the merits of the dogwood (Cornus spp.). This episode is ...
The Mothrix (White Mulberry)
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A cosmopolitan tree that has humble roots, the white mulberry (Morus alba) has been transported across the world to support our insatiable appetite fo...
A Tragic Beauty (Southern Live Oak)
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we chat about the famous southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) of the southeastern United States. A tree that has had many different identi...
BONUS EPISODE - Arbortrary Shorts (feat. Lizzie Falconer & Jen Thomas from Shorts.)
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this BONUS EPISODE, we sit down with Lizzie Falconer and Jen Thomas from the podcast Shorts. to discuss the Ursula K. Le Guin short story Direction...
The Lord of the Tree Rings, Part Three: Specimen Tree of Gondor (Stewartia)
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Lord of the Tree Rings comes to a flashy finish with the Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia). This week we chat about all things specime...
The Lord of the Tree Rings, Part Two: Białowieża (Norway Spruce)
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we march on through Middle-earth, our path leading us to the Norway spruce (Picea abies) and into the Fangorn Forest, found on Vanilla-earth...
The Lord of the Tree Rings, Part One: Concerning Tree Care (Pedunculate Oak)
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The world is changed... In our first installment of The Lord of the Tree Rings trilogy, we discuss the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) and take a deep...
You Can Grow Your Own Way (Southern Catalpa)
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do trees even exist, man? This week we finish our second part on the "idea" of taxonomy and we dive into this question using the beautiful, rugged, so...