Completely Arbortrary
Episodes
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...
Umwelt (Italian Cypress)
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do you see the world? How do you organize the world, all the plants and animals around you? This week we have a discussion about taxonomy that rev...
It's Complicated (Paper Birch)
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Does competition or cooperation get you further in life? That's the question we tackle this week while we discuss the paper birch (Betula papyrifera)....
Amazing Technicolor Dreamtree (Rocky Mountain Juniper)
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum), like nearly all junipers, is a conifer that took a different strategy to get its seeds dispersed. T...
The Other Biggest Tree (Coast Redwood)
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What can't this tree do? The coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) rounds off our two-part series on the oft-confused redwoods of California. This week...
The Biggest Tree (Giant Sequoia)
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to be a perfect tree? We'll come to figuring it out this week as we dive into a flowing conversation about the giant sequoia (Sequoi...
Shagadelic, Baby! (Shagbark Hickory)
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The hickories (Carya) are a part of an ancient forest system that once existed across the entire northern hemisphere, from North America to Europe, ac...
Graveyardery (English Yew)
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The English yew (Taxus baccata) is one of our most storied, mythological, and metaphorical trees to date. Death, disease, toxicity, warfare... it has ...
Mastodon! (Osage Orange)
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do when the way of life that you evolved over millions of years was rendered useless in the blink of an eye? Something very similar to tha...
Elven Beauty (European Beech)
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Has the European beech (Fagus sylvatica) been man's best friend since time-immemorial, or has it just been doing it best to impress the whole time? Th...
Trees Become Alligators (Japanese Black Pine)
06 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The King of Bonsai, this week we're welcoming the new Unseason of Completely Arbortrary with a discussion of the Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii...
BONUS EPISODE - We Three Drinks (Coffee, Hops, & Grapes)
30 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Enjoy this BONUS EPISODE from our Patreon as a palette cleanser to this season of food trees, in which we discuss three drinks from non-tree plants; c...
Food of the Gods (Cacao)
23 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In our annual finally, we talk about the amazing cacao tree (Theobroma cacao). We discuss the sordid history of this funny little fruit, and we end th...
Luxuriance of Funguous Flesh (Meyer Lemon)
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Meyer lemon (Citrus x meyeri), named after the tiger-fighting plant explorer Frank Meyer is this week's subject, but they go way further back than...
OG: Original Goop (Sassafras)
09 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A tree that has been known to solve everything from rheumatism to syphilis, the sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum) is a quintessential part of the his...
The Colossus (Olive)
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The olive (Olea europaea). What more needs to be said about this historic tree? This week, we dive into how it is grown, where, and how orchards have ...
To Tree or Not to Tree (Filbert)
25 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The nut that actually is a nut, this week we chat about the filbert (Corylus avellana) and discuss the philosophical distinction between what exactly ...
The Fruit of Life and Death (Pomegranate)
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The pomegranate (Punica granatum), a tree of mythical history, is our subject this week. We dive to the depths of Hades back again, exploring the outs...
Pinus Delicious (Pinyon Pine)
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we chat about the Colorado pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and its multitude of uses and fascinations. A group of pines, the pinyons, are an inte...
Monopoly: Dutch Edition (Nutmeg)
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The center of conflict and conquest, the Helen of Troy of Trees, the nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) tree has caused international incidents and revolutio...
The Saddest Nut (Almond)
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A historic tree that still shapes our world today, the almond (Prunus amygdalus) is curious member of our culinary pantheon. Once so inedible that it ...
Goodfungus (Holm Oak)
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An oak that has got it all figured out, the holm oak (Quercus ilex) has made a friend that is worth having. This week we talk about the holm oak and i...
Wicked Itchy Rashes (Mango)
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mango, one of the world's most beloved fruits is the subject this week. A tropical wondertree, we chat about where the mango is from and its numerous ...
Chris P. Ness (Apple)
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From folk lore to your lunchbox, the apple (Malus domestica) has played a role in our society for thousands of years. In our Season 4 premiere, we cha...
BONUS EPISODE - Completely Arbortrary: Plant-Based Diet - Season 4 Trailer & "Fungal Associates"
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hi, we're Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson. You're invited to take a seat at the table for Completely Arbortrary Season 4: Plant-Based Diet! That's right,...
F.L.C.T. (Green Ash)
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are closing out our Winter ‘21 Collection with the green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica). Though an immensely popular ornamental and stree...
Wilsonville Bee Kill (Littleleaf Linden)
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we review the littleleaf linden (Tilia cordata), a European forest dweller with a heart of gold. We discuss how its generosity is a double-e...
The Widowmaker (Coulter Pine)
09 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The tree that’ll kill you back, the Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri) is our topic this week, and we bring in special guest Tobin Mitnik, a Jew who love...
Old, But Still Lit (Bristlecone Pine)
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A god of a tree, blessed with near immortality, this week we discuss the bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva), who from its high mountain home has dilige...
The Return of the King (American Chestnut)
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A true tale of love and loss, the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) is this week’s subject and we discuss its renown, majesty, and stature, and u...
The Milkshake Analogy (Western Red Cedar)
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The western redcedar and all its glory today, along with our first interview (!) with Sam Stewart, a guitar craftsman and musician who tells us all ‘...
Nurse! (Western Hemlock)
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? We don’t know! But it sure does make a lovely habitat for a p...
Tree of Hell (Tree of Heaven)
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
INVASION! In this episode we discuss the morality of tree invasiveness, and find ourselves debating the question: who’s invading whom?Completely Arb...
Ulmus De Niro (American Elm)
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An American legend whose time was cut too short, this week we discuss the American elm and its momentous rise and historic fall in the mean city stree...
Under(dog)story (Japanese Maple)
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A tree that didn’t ask for the praise, but certainly earns it, this week it’s the Japanese maple and we chat about the undergods of the forest, th...
iSpread (Quaking Aspen)
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is it to be a tree? What is a trees? What are a tree? The quaking aspen has it all figured out, and they (it?) have (has?) been doing it since th...
C-Men (Bradford Pear)
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is it the perfect tree, as close to ideal as possible, or is it a scourge upon the exotic soils to which it was brought? This week we talk the infamou...
BONUS EPISODE - Completely Arbortrary: Classic - Season 3 Trailer & "What is a Tree?"
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3! Completely Arbortrary: Classic This season we're returning to format and covering some long-requested trees, and some house-favorites as wel...
Mangroves on Mangroves on Mangroves (Red Mangrove)
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps the most cosmopolitan aquatic tree out there, this week we conclude our world tour with a trip to the waters of the tropics (any of them!) and...
Insect That's Sensitive to Scents (Mountain Ash Eucalyptus)
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
G’day and welcome to the penultimate installation of our Spring ‘21 collection wherein we of course are covering the famous Australian giant, the ...
Knotty Yacht (European Larch)
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're discussing the gorgeous and unique European larch (Larix decidua), and we discuss its proclivity for tapping into a wide-reaching fung...
You Say Tomato, I Say (Jacaranda)
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A cosmopolitan tree to say the least, this week we discuss the gorgeous jacaranda tree from south central South America. Dappled shade, incompara...
Lothlórien (Kauri)
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 divini...
The Drunken Forests (Black Spruce)
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Permafrost! Phototropism! Thigmomorphogenesis! Big terms with big ideas abound in this boreal episode of Completely Arbortrary, as we trek through the...
Strangler Than Figtion (Banyan)
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
God's Wood (Cedar of Lebanon)
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Giravves (Umbrella Thorn)
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do giraffes make trees taller, or the trees make giraffes’ necks longer? This week, we cover the iconic umbrella thorn tree (Vachellia tortilis) of ...
Faerie Talk (Common Hawthorn)
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 unders...
Painting With Nature (Japanese Cherry)
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kon'nichiwa! This week we jet over to Japan to discuss a gorgeous, renowned, and cultivated-like-heck tree, the Japanese cherry (Prunus serrulata). Di...
Pehuén (Monkey Puzzle)
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Completely Arbortrary: World Tour!
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 internatio...
The Perfect Flower (Southern Magnolia)
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 g...
Yee-Haw! (Ponderosa Pine)
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we head out west and marvel at the orange-clad giants of the pine world, the ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). We dive into one of the most ...
Liquid Sunshine (Sugar Maple)
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Vermont, sugar! This week we're charging headlong into the snowy forests of the Northeast United States to tap one of the sweetest trees in...
New Roots, New Shoots (Black Willow)
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The tree that does it all. This week we dive into what makes the black willow (Salix nigra), and willows more broadly, such revered trees. From curing...
Death by 1,000 Beetles (Lodgepole Pine)
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're talking about the tragic tale of the Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). Human greed, voracious beetles, and graveyard forests... it's ou...
Street Tree Manifesto (European Hornbeam)
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're taking it to the streets to discuss the European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus). Casey waxes poetic about his great interest and love for...
met-a-se-KOY-a glyp-to-stro-BOY-des (Dawn Redwood)
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A sleeping giant awakens! Enter dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides). The deciduous conifer (gasp!) dominated the Northern hemisphere for thous...
The Tree Before Time (Ginkgo)
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What smells like barf, lived with dinosaurs, and makes for a great tattoo? This tree! Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is a living fossil; a tree so old it live...
Jupiter's Nut! (Black Walnut)
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Villainous arboreal poisoner, or misunderstood forest benefactor? Despite its bipinnately gorgeous appearance and emotional significance to the genera...
Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Tree (Arborvitae)
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gather 'round to hear the unfortunate tale of the arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis), a tree that's truly less than the sum of its parts. A mass-produced...
Squirrel Talk (Oregon White Oak)
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
SQUIRRELS! Today we burrow head first into a discussion of the Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana), another house favorite tree named by David Douglas...
Episode I: The Phantom Fir (Douglas-fir)
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What's up, Fungal Associates! Welcome to Completely Arbortrary, the podcast about trees and other related topics. In our inaugural episode, we discuss...
Completely Arbortrary: The Trailer!
18 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tree zealot Casey Clapp and tree agnostic Alex Crowson review and rate your favorite arboreal friends. A semi-educational, basically pleasant, and ful...