Deciduous – My Favorite Trees

November 28, 2023

Episode 90: The African Marula

On this rare trip to the African continent, we look at a keystone savanna species: the Marula. These trees reflect the movement of the great Bantu Migration, play a key role in certain fertility traditions, and allegedly get elephants drunk. The Marula will also teach us that apparently everything is a nut tree.

Tons of bonus content is available on my Patreon! (patreon.com/MyFavoriteTrees)
Music is by Academy Garden (academygarden.bandcamp.com)
Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram
Script Editing and Social Media is by Laurie Hilburn (lhilburn.journoportfolio.com)
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast

Sources:

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/39669663.pdf

https://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_marula.html

https://www.bushwise.guide/blog/fascinating-tree-south-african-lowveld/

https://www.aurumafrica.eu/en/marula-oil-rare-pure-natural/marula-tree/

https://sourcefood.co.za/marula-fruit-source-inspiration/

https://www.healthline.com/health/marula-oil-benefits#benefits

https://www.herbalgram.org/resources/herbalgram/issues/79/table-of-contents/article3304/

https://bioone.org/journals/Tropical-Conservation-Science/volume-12/issue-1/1940082919828969/Communities-and-Conservation–Marula-Trees-Sclerocarya-birrea-subsp-caffra/10.1177/1940082919828969.full

https://demandafrica.com/food/from-marula-to-amarula/

https://www.worldhistory.org/Bantu_Migration/

https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/11879/chapter/9

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989421004583

https://draymans.com/product/hakkiesdraad-mampoer/

September 19, 2023September 19, 2023

Episode 85: The Pawpaw

The Pawpaw tree is a mysterious one, somehow being both my most requested topic and one many are likely to not have heard of. This tree species produces the largest native tree fruit in North America, but despite growing among temperate Oaks and Hickories, it has qualities seen only in otherwise tropical plants. Explore the Pawpaw with me, from its earliest impacts on human history to how it could find its way back into the spotlight today.
Music is by Academy Garden (academygarden.bandcamp.com)
Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram
Script Editing and Social Media is by Laurie Hilburn (lhilburn.journoportfolio.com)
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast

Sources:

https://susqnha.org/riverroots-forgotten-fruit-pawpaw/

https://raintreenursery.com/blogs/pnw-edible-plant-blog/considering-pawpaw-biology-to-inform-how-to-grow-them

https://www.gardenclub.org/blog/native-american-paw-paw-trees

https://apalacheresearch.com/2021/06/24/the-indigenous-agriculture-of-the-americas-pawpaw-fruit/

https://daily.jstor.org/plant-of-the-month-the-pawpaw/

https://www.nps.gov/articles/pawpaw.htm

https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/asitri/all.html#BOTANICAL%20AND%20ECOLOGICAL%20CHARACTERISTICS

https://patch.com/massachusetts/charlestown/historic-canoe-burning-underway-near-boston-harbor

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/native-americans-and-freedom-religion/

https://heppy.org/paw-paw-festival/

July 25, 2023July 25, 2023

Episode 81: The White Poplar

This close relative of the Aspen is not just recognizable by its white bark–the White Poplar is iconic for its multicolored leaves with rough, white undersides. Alongside this unique appearance, this tree’s historic symbolism in Greek and Roman mythology bears multitudinous themes of beauty and death. Let’s dive headfirst into the Underworld and learn about the forests that grow there.

Get hours of bonus content by joining my Patreon at patreon.com/MyFavoriteTrees
Music is by Academy Garden (academygarden.bandcamp.com)
Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram
Script Editing and Social Media is by Laurie Hilburn (lhilburn.journoportfolio.com)
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast

Sources

https://www.invasive.org/weedcd/pdfs/wgw/whitepoplar.pdf

https://forest.jrc.ec.europa.eu/media/atlas/Populus_alba.pdf

https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/populus/populus.htm

https://kaitlinbevis.com/2013/11/25/mythology-monday-leuce/

https://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NympheLeuke.html

https://www.theoi.com/Titan/TitanOkeanos.html

https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/108D0S

https://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/PotamosAkheron.html

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/287716.pdf

http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/painting/panel-paintings.htm

https://www.theartstory.org/artist/donatello/

https://www.natickma.gov/1865/White-Poplar-Tree

June 27, 2023June 27, 2023

Episode 79: The Sycamore/Planetree

The American Sycamore is one of the most iconic forest trees in the eastern United States and I frequently have friends and family showing me pictures of it asking for its name. But I’ve held off on covering it for so long because history mostly points to it just being loved as a fantastic shade tree. Turns out, there’s a ton human history surrounding this tree exactly because it’s such a good shade tree! Hear how we’ve immortalized this figure in fable, how it softened the rapport of multiple emperors, and why it’s such a lonely member of the Plant Kingdom.
Music is by Academy Garden (academygarden.bandcamp.com)
Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram
Script Editing and Social Media is by Laurie Hilburn (lhilburn.journoportfolio.com)
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast

Sources:

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1636/1636-h/1636-h.htm

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167198705001042?via%3Dihub

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D12%3Achapter%3D3

https://kashmirreader.com/2022/03/17/chinar-the-living-heritage-of-kashmir/

https://www.tripoto.com/india/trips/the-chinar-legacy-57dc319f28a66

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/platanus-occidentalis/

https://read.gov/aesop/009.html

https://www.jstor.org/stable/641993

https://www.opera-arias.com/handel/xerxes/synopsis/

https://www.treesforcities.org/stories/the-mysterious-story-of-the-london-plane-tree

https://www.hackerscreek.org/page-1075180

https://www.yourleaf.org/blog/brenna-anstett/feb-11-2015/roots-run-deep

https://www3.nd.edu/~wcawley/corson/cors022.htm

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331029690_The_reticulate_origin_of_modern_plane_trees_Platanus_Platanaceae_A_nuclear_marker_puzzle

https://www.connexionfrance.com/article/Mag/Culture/Shade-and-chic-France-s-history-of-planting-trees-in-a-row

May 30, 2023

Episode 77: The Peach Tree

For the third and final entry in my second Fruit Tree Miniseries, I talk about the Peach Tree. While this popular fruit is often associated with the American South, the Peach Tree is also highly valued across East Asia. Learn just how deep the Peach is embedded in Chinese history, how Europe took a completely opposite view of the fruit from the Far East, and how the state of Georgia stole it for their own identity.

Subscribe to my Patreon for my bonus video series, production updates, and more! (patreon.com/MyFavoriteTrees)
Music is by Academy Garden (academygarden.bandcamp.com)
Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram
Social Media and Script Editing is by Laurie Hilburn (lhilburn.journoportfolio.com)
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast.

Sources

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST513

https://www.britannica.com/plant/Prunus

https://www.etymonline.com/word/peach

https://nihonshock.com/2014/06/advanced-japanese-colors/

https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13059-020-02239-1

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0106595

https://www.historians.org/research-and-publications/perspectives-on-history/september-2022/the-peach-tree

https://yourstory.tenement.org/stories/longevity-peach

https://sakura.co/blog/japanese-peaches-perfect-for-a-peachy-day/

https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/72/japanese-fairy-tales/4845/momotaro-or-the-story-of-the-son-of-a-peach/

https://gotheborg.com/glossary/sanduo.shtml

https://issuu.com/sister_magazine/docs/en_sistermag30_3/s/121925

https://thehistoricfoodie.wordpress.com/2014/06/05/more-on-the-indian-peach/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/fuzzy-history-georgia-peach-180964490/

https://www.atlasbig.com/en-us/countries-peach-nectarin-production

https://www.worldstopexports.com/top-peaches-exports-imports-by-country-plus-average-prices/

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/73650

February 21, 2023February 21, 2023

Episode 70: The Beech

The Beech is iconic for its smooth, thin, grey bark. Carving one’s initials into these trees is so recognizable a practice that it inspired the cover art for my podcast. But what are the downsides of this artform and what other significant aspects in history has it given rise to? The Beech’s skin bears the scars of Nordic books, Daniel Boone, and Japanese conservation. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast. Subscribe to my Patreon for more content, now at a reduced cost!
patreon.com/myfavoritetrees
mftpodcast.com
academygarden.bandcamp.com

Sources:

https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/am_beech.htm

https://dbpedia.org/page/Fagus_(god)

https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2018/05/beech-book.html

https://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/trees/fagusgrandifolia/records/

https://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/trees/europeanbeech/records/

http://libraryexhibits.uvm.edu/omeka/exhibits/show/uvmtrees/american-beech-introduction/american-beech-native-american

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3798331.pdf

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/30343

https://naturewalk.yale.edu/trees/fagaceae/fagus-sylvatica/european-beech-95

https://onlineexhibits.library.yale.edu/s/jappalachia/page/beech-trees-rural-revitalization-and-green-tourism-the-origins-of-the-shinetsu-trail

https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/3105/

https://www.wlwest.co.uk/knowledge/how-to-bend-solid-wood-steam-bending/

https://www.smokinlicious.com/blog/to-the-beech-wood-species-we-go/

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/712752-i-frequently-tramped-eight-or-ten-miles-through-the-deepest

https://trees.stanford.edu/ENCYC/FAGsyl.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/20010821002157/http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/life/buck/bucktown/begin.html

November 29, 2022November 29, 2022

Episode 64: The Larch

As winter begins to take hold of the land, we often look to conifers that stay green all year round for comfort. Except, there’s one conifer that actually drops its needles in the fall! Learn about why the Larch breaks the mold and the importance far northern humans give this tree despite not being an evergreen. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast.

Sources

https://highlandboundary.com/blogs/news/the-essence-of-larch

https://treespiritwisdom.com/tree-spirit-wisdom/larch-tree-symbolism/

https://www.botanicalmedicine.org/western-larch-new-uses-for-ancient-medicine/

https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2018/02/american-larch-stick-mud

https://www.labroots.com/trending/earth-and-the-environment/14719/northernmost-trees-earth-growing-faster

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/journey-northernmost-tree-alaska-180977862/

https://www.wondermondo.com/lukunsky-grove/

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ten_Books_on_Architecture/Book_II

https://arboretum.harvard.edu/stories/larch-cones-in-spring/

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/european-larch/

https://www.livescience.com/62404-shigir-idol-age-and-new-face.html

November 15, 2022November 15, 2022

Episode 63: The American Elm

Elms are some of the best trees to plant in our neighborhoods, thanks to their wide, shady crowns. For this alone, they are loved by many. But their significance extends throughout American history, from setting the stage of revolution to inspiring victims of tragedy in the modern day. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast.

Sources

https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/elms

https://ufi.ca.uky.edu/treetalk/ecobot-american-elm

https://connecticuthistory.org/a-beautiful-and-goodly-tree-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-american-elm/

https://memorialmuseum.com/experience/the-survivor-tree/

https://archive.org/details/sixtreesshort00freerich/page/4/mode/1up

https://www.arborday.org/programs/nationaltree/elm.cfm

https://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/forest/htmls/trees/U-americana.html

https://jefpat.maryland.gov/Pages/education/plants/american-elm.aspx

https://www.adkinsarboretum.org/programs_events/ipp/slippery-elm.html

https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/ulmus/rubra.htm

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/story-behind-forgotten-symbol-american-revolution-liberty-tree-180959162/

https://historycambridge.org/Cambridge-Revolution/Washington%20Elm.html

http://www.penntreatymuseum.org/treaty.php

https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/dutch-elm-disease

https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/lifestyle/home-garden/2012/01/21/ree-expert-lauds-debunks-species-cultivars/47158373/

September 6, 2022September 6, 2022

Episode 58: The Pecan

Nothing says Fall in Texas quite like a slice of pecan pie. This final nut of our miniseries is truly a staple of the American South as it does not grow anywhere else in the world! Learn about how this rich delight was almost overlooked as a crop, some controversy in its historic production, and how to actually pronounce the dang word itself. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow my on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees or on Instagram @treepodcast.

Sources:

http://dialect.redlog.net/staticmaps/q_21.html

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=cail2

https://farmtogether.com/learn/blog/a-brief-history-of-pecans

https://www.hudsonpecan.com/blogs/news/history-of-the-pecan

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/pecan-industry

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/pecan-shellers-strike

https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/symbols.html

https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=ST023

August 23, 2022July 15, 2022

Episode 57: The Walnut

The walnut is considered by some to be the “King of Nuts.” Part two of this three-part miniseries will explore why this food has historically been regarded as godly as well as some other unique features of various walnut species. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees or on Instagram @treepodcast.