Otis Weaselgraft and Dr. Pablum are trying to sell trees, but not very successfully. When T.D. approaches, Weaselgraft (though calling himself Omar Grisslegrass) tries to sell him one, claiming it grows money, but T.D. doesn't believe him. He starts to leave, but then Otis says, "Wait! How about a tree that grows steak?!", which T.D. does believe. The conmen take some bits of steak from a sandwich, put them on a tree, and show it to T.D., who buys it.
He runs into Alice outside the ballet school, who asks him about the tree. He says it's a steak tree, but she doesn't believe it, saying that steaks don't come from trees, but from the grocery store. T.D. replies that the grocery store staff pick them off steak trees, but she still thinks the idea is ridiculous. The two kids approach Truman and tell him about the situation, and he doesn't buy the idea of a steak tree either.
T.D. isn't swayed though, and shows Helen and her dogs, with Truman and Alice accompanying him. Helen also knows that there's no such thing as a steak tree, but the dogs are hopeful. The kids and dogs all go off to plant the "steak tree", but Truman thinks they should be doing their homework instead. T.D.'s friends leave and O.G. calls him in for dinner.
T.D. checks for steaks at dinner time and before bed, then the dogs check the next day, and T.D. checks before bed that night again. When he finds no steaks before bed, he tells it to bloom some steaks lest he end up looking like the "world's biggest doofus". The next day, Truman phones T.D. up and tries to tell him about where steaks really come from, using information he found in a book. However, T.D. looks out his window and excitedly exclaims that his tree has sprouted buds. He drops the phone and runs outside.
The day after that, he wakes up to find Martha, Skits, Helen, Alice, and Truman visiting him to look at the tree. There is indeed steak on the tree, which convinces the girls that steak does grow on trees, but Truman still doesn't believe it. He tries to show his friends where steaks really come from, but they don't pay any attention. Then, Martha spits out some tape, but T.D. lies that it was gristle. When everyone leaves, Martha, who's seen through the lie, convinces him to confess that he'd actually taped the steak to the tree after finding that the buds had bloomed into flowers instead of steak. Martha asks him why he didn't just tell the truth, but T.D. says that it would be too embarrassing. Martha points out that he's not one to let embarrassment get in his way, and he'd probably feel better if he told the truth.
T.D. still doesn't want to come clean, so he buys more steak and puts it on his tree, this time with no tape. Martha thinks he should tell the truth instead. Alice comes over with seven girls, who are friends of hers she told about the tree. He buys more steak, but Burt follows him and summons a whole pack of dogs, who chase him, and in the commotion, he drops the steak.
When he gets home, Alice comes around and wants a cutting of the steak tree, and T.D. is about to cut her a piece, but Martha tells him not to. He claims that he will sell cuttings to buy more steak, and that Alice will be too embarrassed to rat him out. Despite Martha's protests, T.D. goes out with the clippers, to find Truman and Helen in the yard too, with Helen wanting to buy a cutting for Mariella and Truman wanting to buy one for his botanist. T.D. is about to cut off a branch, but then eventually decides not to and tells the truth. However, his friends don't make fun of him; in fact, they share similar experiences — Helen thought sea monkeys were real monkeys, Truman thought a propeller hat would make him fly, and Alice once got cavities from chewing gum too often. Thus, they leave for yogurt and T.D. decides to keep the tree. The pack of dogs, however, is still waiting behind the fence.
This episode provides examples of
- Aesop Amnesia: Martha says that if T.D. betrays his friends, he may as well be a cat, despite learning cats aren't all bad in "There Goes the Neighbourhood".
- Astonishingly Appropriate Interruption:
- Truman says, "I've been doing some reading on steaks. According to this book, they don't come from trees; they come from—-" and is cut off by T.D. yelling, "Holy cow!".Truman: "Exactly!"
- Truman then says, "For the last time, steaks don't come from trees; they come from—-" and then Alice shouts, "Cowabunga!".
- Truman says, "I've been doing some reading on steaks. According to this book, they don't come from trees; they come from—-" and is cut off by T.D. yelling, "Holy cow!".
- Bait-and-Switch: When Alice says that the gum her uncle gave her was said to never lose its flavour, it seems like that turned out to be false... but it was true; Alice's mistake was that she chewed it too often and got cavities.
- Cats Are Mean: Discussed when Martha says that if T.D. wrongs his friends, he may as well be a cat.
- Companion Cube: T.D. starts talking to the tree and calling it "buddy".
- Con Man: In addition to Weaselgraft and Pablum, T.D. almost becomes a con boy himself when he considers selling cuttings and pretending they're steak trees to raise money for more steak.
- Continuity Nod: Alice is seen exiting a ballet school wearing a tutu, which references how she took up ballet in "Alice Twinkle Toes".
- Death Glare: Martha convinces T.D. to tell the truth by frowning at him.
- Delicious Daydream: Martha imagines herself and Skits eating steaks that fall off a tree in fall.
- Embarrassment Plot: When T.D. realises his tree doesn't grow steaks, he doesn't want to admit he's wrong to his friends, since he feels that would be embarrassing, so he pretends it does grow steak until Martha convinces him to confess.
- Fantasy Sequence: Martha has an imagination sequence of the steak tree in fall.
- Flashback: When T.D. explains that he taped the steak to his tree after the buds blossomed into flowers instead of steak, we see it happen.
- Grows on Trees: Discussed. Otis Weaselgraft and Dr. Pablum lie that their trees grow first money, then steak.
- Happy Dance: T.D. dances in his yard when he thinks his tree is budding.
- Honesty Aesop: One of the morals (the other one being that it's normal to get fooled or be wrong sometimes) is not to lie — T.D. lies that his tree grows steak when he finds out it doesn't, then considers selling cuttings and pretending they're also steak trees, but he eventually learns to tell the truth instead.
- I Don't Think That's Such a Good Idea: When T.D. buys more steak and later goes to give Alice a cutting, Martha isn't sure and thinks he should tell the truth instead.
- Loud Gulp: T.D. gulps upon seeing the pack of dogs hungry for his steak.
- Mistakes Are Not the End of the World: The episode's other message, besides the one about not lying, is that it's normal to be wrong sometimes and doesn't mean you're gullible.
- Never Trust a Title: There isn't really a steak tree; Otis Weaselgraft and Dr. Pablum just trick T.D. into thinking there is.
- Ode to Food: T.D. sings, "Here Come the Steaks" to the tune of "Here Comes the Bride".
- Only Sane Man: While initially Helen and Alice initially express doubt at the idea of a steak tree, eventually Truman is the only one who knows steak doesn't grow on trees.
- Ping Pong Naïveté: T.D. is wise enough to know money doesn't grow on trees, but naive enough to think steak does.
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: Alice says that a steak tree is ridiculous, since steaks don't grow on trees... they come from the grocery store.
- Stock Animal Diet: Martha and Skits are hopeful at the idea of a steak tree, then a pack of dogs (including Burt, Rinty, and Cisco) go after T.D.'s steak.
- Tempting Fate: T.D. thinks the new batch of steak he buys will last for a long time, only for it to be polished off by Alice and seven of her friends.
