PARA-225-European-White-Birch: Birch

Caretaker Status: Unknown

Affiliated companion(s): COM-39-225-1

Level 2 - concrete
Word: Birch (European White)

Origin:
"Hardy, slender northern forest tree noted for its white bark," Old English berc, beorc (also the name of the rune for "b"), from Proto-Germanic *berkjon (source also of Old Saxon birka, Old Norse börk, Danish birk, Swedish and Icelandic björk (which is also a girl's given name), Middle Dutch berke, Dutch berk, Old High German birihha, German Birke), from PIE *bhergo (source also of Ossetian barz, Old Church Slavonic breza, Russian bereza, Lithuanian beržas, Sanskrit bhurjah, all names of birch-like trees, Latin fraxinus "mountain ash"), from root *bhereg- "to shine; bright, white," in reference to the bark. Birch beer is by 1827, American English.

Definition:
Betula pendula. A tree with flaky white bark and terrific fall color. The graceful, arching, open-branched pyramidal form when young matures to a stately oval to rounded form in time. Toothy, diamond-shaped foliage emerges glossy green in spring. Distinctive peeling bark provides an interesting landscape element, especially in winter. Deciduous.

Magic Status: 0 - Uninitiated

Wisdom Status: 0 - Unaware