Episode 94: The Myrtle

The Myrtle is a small Mediterranean tree with significance tied to just about every culture of that region–due in large part to how fragrant the plant is. It enlivens Jewish holidays, protects one from curses, and is a display of love and beauty so powerful that it can start wars. Help me ring in the Jewish Tree New Year by learning how this fragrant tree can be so significant and how it shows up in our lives today.

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://www.britannica.com/plant/myrtle

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9933039/

https://www.uicnmed.org/nabp/database/HTM/PDF/p47.pdf

https://blog.library.si.edu/blog/2018/06/28/myrtle-the-provenance-and-meaning-of-a-plant/

https://www.neot-kedumim.org.il/index-plant-of-the-month/the-myrtle/

https://reformjudaism.org/sukkot-diversity-and-unity-how-each-us-four-species

https://aqua-oleum.co.uk/2022/02/14/myrtle-symbol-of-love-and-beauty/

Episode 68: The Fig Tree

In the beginning of February, the Jewish world will be celebrating Tu B’Shevat, a New Years holiday for trees! I celebrate alongside them every year by covering the biology and history of the Seven Species of Israel, the plants Moses’ spies brought back to him proving that they had found the fertile Promised Land. This year, I’ll be talking about the Common Fig Tree–exploring the depth of its connection in Abrahamic faith, comparing and contrasting it to other Figs I’ve covered, and diving deep into the wasps that give us these sweet, weird fruits. And as always, I’ll be having my own seder with some Fig spread and give my review of the flavor that so many have integrated into their religion. 

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Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Script editing and Social Media managed by top-notch writer Laurie Hilburn. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast.

Sources:

https://web.archive.org/web/20201031124540/http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/fig.html

http://www.waynesword.net/ww0501.htm

https://www.treehugger.com/are-there-really-wasps-your-figs-4868822

https://markgelbart.wordpress.com/tag/gilgal-1-fig/

https://hannahromanowsky.com/2020/07/the-fabled-fig/

https://newdailycompass.com/en/the-fig-tree-present-from-genesis-to-revelation

https://www.science.org/content/article/ancient-waves-wild-grain

https://ohr.edu/israel_and_jerusalem/people_of_the_land/2466

https://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol-20/surah-tin-chapter-95

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4431303

https://www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/figs-the-fruit-of-the-ancients/

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/place_settings/ishtar

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/468738/jewish/Tu-BiShvat-What-and-How.htm

Episode 41: The Olive Tree

Sundown on January the 16th marks the beginning of Tu B’Shevat 2022. For the second year in a row, I’ve decided to celebrate this Jewish Tree New Year by covering one of the Seven Species of Israel. This time, it’s the olive’s turn. Olive trees have held importance to humans for thousands of years—not just as a food source but also for the many uses of olive oil as well as the tree’s symbol of peace and prosperity. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees or on Instagram @treepodcast. 

Sources:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/olive?ref=etymonline_crossreference

https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/37336#529463b4-64d1-44ac-848b-228978fa80a0

https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/41350

http://www.oliveuniversity.org/oliveoil_intro.htm

https://www.greenprophet.com/2019/09/the-olive-its-history/

https://www.abea.gr/en/history-of-olive-in-crete/

https://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/history-olive

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/olive

https://www.jpost.com/promocontent/the-olive-in-the-jewish-and-israeli-culture-193416

https://www.italianmade.com/usa/olive-oil/

https://orderisda.org/culture/italian-living/from-tree-to-table-how-italian-olive-oil-is-produced/

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/947/the-olive-in-the-ancient-mediterranean/

Episode 10: The Pomegranate (Tree New Year)

This week features the Jewish holiday Tu B’shevat, a sort of Tree New Year. To celebrate, I am talking about one of the Seven Species of the Jewish faith, the Pomegranate. This small tree is extensively tied to human history, considering it was one of the first fruits cultivated by humans. Hear the story of its long journey and celebrate Tree New Year with me. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees.