Mature Slits -

Sarah looked at the grove differently then. She no longer saw damaged bark, but a forest of elders, breathing deeply through the marks of their own history.

"In the botanical world," Elias whispered, "the most beautiful specimens are the ones that aren't afraid to let their old skin break to accommodate their new strength. Those slits are proof that the tree has grown too big for its former self. It’s not falling apart; it’s finally opening up." mature slits

arborday.org/trees/treeguide/treedetail.cfm?itemID=791">Paper Birch develop these patterns as they age, or perhaps more about the biological function of lenticels ? Sarah looked at the grove differently then