Completely Arbortrary

Latest Episodes:

Inside Sprout: Anger (Jeffrey Pine) Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

What makes you angry? Is it the Jeffrey pine (𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘫𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘺𝘪)? Perhaps it’s the smell, a controversial topic among tree lovers that causes all sorts of anger.

Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson

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Cover art by Jillian Barthold

Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals

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Inside Sprout: Fear (Silver Maple) Mar 13, 2025

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Why are we so afraid of the silver maple (Acer saccharinum)? Perhaps because of the risk involved. In today’s episode of Inside Sprout, we discuss tree risk assessment as we ask ourselves the question: if a tree falls, and no one is around to see it, is there any risk?

Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson

Support the pod and become a Treemium Member

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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.

Inside Sprout: Disgust (Black Locust) Mar 06, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to Inside Sprout, a 5 part mini-series on trees that best embody and illicit our most basic human emotions. Today we start with disgust and the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). This tree is almost universally despised for its invasiveness, but has found a very important and loving niche for itself in the woodworking community.

Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson

Support the pod and become a Treemium Member

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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.

Ball is Life (Rubber) Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

Take me out to the ball game… the one where they bounce a solid rubber (Castilla elastica) ball between their hips. Today we take it way back for a discussion about rubber (the tree) and rubber (the substance) and an ancient ballgame that’s still played today.

Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson

Support the pod and become a Treemium Member

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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.

Little Kid (Balsa) Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

The lightest wood there is, the balsa (Ochroma pyramidale) is one excited little kid. It grows fast, has ice cream cone flowers, and you can even carry it around on your shoulders! But what gives this tree the ability to grow in such a famous way?

Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson

Support the pod and become a Treemium Member

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Find Arbortrary merch on our store

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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 Chipko Movement (Banj Oak) Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

In the second part of our eco-feminism series, we discuss the Chipko movement, a practical manifestation of eco-feminist ideologies out of India. Author/activist Vandana Shiva makes an appearance, as does the Banj oak (Quercus leucotrichophora). Then, we play a medieval edition of the Slang Game.

Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson

Support the pod and become a Treemium Member

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Find Arbortrary merch on our store

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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.

Parent Earth (Sitka Spruce) Feb 06, 2025

Show notes

What makes a tree innately "feminine"? We can't explain it, but we can roughly explain eco-feminism, and how it affects our opinions of, and behaviors toward, Mother Nature and the sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis).

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Low-Hanging Fruit (Jaboticaba) Jan 30, 2025

Show notes

Oh, what fun is the jaboticaba (Plinia cauliflora) with it’s curiously growing fruit. Learn about this tree before diving headlong into a discussion about temperate vs. tropical fruit! Who be will victorious? Then, we have not one but TWO taste tests!

Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson

Support the pod and become a Treemium Member

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Find Arbortrary merch on our store

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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.

Clickbait Tree (Walking Palm) Jan 23, 2025

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The tree that walks! (not really) The walking palm (Socratea exorrhiza) is beloved by Tik-Tok clickbait content creators for its astounding ability to “walk”. But is its fame a double-edged sword?

Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson

Support the pod and become a Treemium Member

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Find Arbortrary merch on our store

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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.

Ironheart (ʻŌhiʻa Lehua) Jan 16, 2025

Show notes

ʻŌhiʻa Lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) is Hawaii's most populous tree, and perhaps its most adaptable! For a tree that grows on literal lava flows, this tree has no shortage of interesting qualities that make it one of the most fascinating trees we've ever discussed!

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.