Instead of putting energy into growing wide trunks, they put that energy into growing tall! The taller they are, the closer their leaves are to the sunlight. Have you ever seen a birch tree? Can you picture it in your head?
I felt very calm and peaceful when I saw the birch trees. Walking through the forest makes me feel grounded and connected with nature. Studies show that people who spend time in forests have better moods, increased focus and less stress. How do you feel when you're surrounded by trees?
Birch trees grow best in cool climates with moist, nutrient-filled soil and sunny, open space. They grow all over Finland! They even grow very far north above the arctic circle where it gets very cold (as low as -60 °F).
Can you guess how birch trees can survive such cold temperatures? There a few ways that they do it.
Birches do something very cool to survive winters: they go to sleep! Since they're sleeping, they don't need nutrients and water. This is also why they lose their leaves since leaves need lots of water.
They also have a natural anti-freeze process. It's like how humans put anti-freeze in their cars to keep it warm every winter! Birch trees make a thick, sugary syrup that freezes at a much lower temperature than water, protecting the tree from the cold. The white bark reflects sunlight to keep the trees from "waking up" too early. Do you know at what temperature water freezes? What is solid, frozen water called?
