A type of tree with white or pale bark that peels off in thin sheets, common in northern forests.
From Old English beorc, related to Sanskrit bhūrja. The tree name appears in Germanic languages and was known to ancient Indo-European peoples, suggesting the word is extremely old.
Birch trees are covered in white papery bark that the tree itself uses like a sunscreen to reflect heat in bright northern summers—and Indigenous peoples used this same bark to make canoes, paper, and containers for thousands of years.
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