diff --git a/src/block.rs b/src/block.rs
index 0c4b97c..1dd8a34 100644
--- a/src/block.rs
+++ b/src/block.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ use Leaf::*;
 use ListType::*;
 
 pub type Tree = tree::Tree<Node, Atom>;
-pub type Branch = tree::Branch<Node, Atom>;
 pub type TreeBuilder = tree::Builder<Node, Atom>;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
@@ -523,7 +522,7 @@ mod test {
     macro_rules! test_parse {
             ($src:expr $(,$($event:expr),* $(,)?)?) => {
                 let t = super::TreeParser::new($src).parse();
-                let actual = t.root().map(|ev| (ev.kind, ev.span.of($src))).collect::<Vec<_>>();
+                let actual = t.map(|ev| (ev.kind, ev.span.of($src))).collect::<Vec<_>>();
                 let expected = &[$($($event),*,)?];
                 assert_eq!(actual, expected, "\n\n{}\n\n", $src);
             };
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 06c6975..3547473 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -263,14 +263,11 @@ impl<'s> Container<'s> {
 pub struct Parser<'s> {
     src: &'s str,
 
-    /// Block tree parsed at first, written once. This is never accessed directly, the data is read
-    /// via [`Branch`] cursors. This is here only to keep it alive during the `Parser`'s lifetime.
-    _tree_data: block::Tree,
     /// Link definitions encountered during block parse, written once.
     link_definitions: std::collections::HashMap<&'s str, CowStr<'s>>,
 
     /// Block tree cursor.
-    tree: block::Branch,
+    tree: block::Tree,
     /// Spans to the inlines in the block currently being parsed.
     inlines: span::InlineSpans<'s>,
     /// Inline parser, recreated for each new inline.
@@ -279,7 +276,7 @@ pub struct Parser<'s> {
     /// Footnote references in the order they were encountered, without duplicates.
     footnote_references: Vec<&'s str>,
     /// Cache of footnotes to emit at the end.
-    footnotes: std::collections::HashMap<&'s str, block::Branch>,
+    footnotes: std::collections::HashMap<&'s str, block::Tree>,
     /// Next or current footnote being parsed and emitted.
     footnote_index: usize,
     /// Currently within a footnote.
@@ -292,7 +289,7 @@ impl<'s> Parser<'s> {
         let tree = block::parse(src);
 
         let link_definitions = {
-            let mut branch = tree.root();
+            let mut branch = tree.clone();
             let mut defs = std::collections::HashMap::new();
             while let Some(e) = branch.next() {
                 if let tree::EventKind::Enter(block::Node::Leaf(block::Leaf::LinkDefinition)) =
@@ -310,11 +307,10 @@ impl<'s> Parser<'s> {
             defs
         };
 
-        let branch = tree.root();
+        let branch = tree.clone();
 
         Self {
             src,
-            _tree_data: tree,
             link_definitions,
             tree: branch,
             footnote_references: Vec::new(),
@@ -523,7 +519,7 @@ impl<'s> Parser<'s> {
             self.tree = self
                 .footnotes
                 .remove(tag)
-                .unwrap_or_else(block::Branch::empty);
+                .unwrap_or_else(block::Tree::empty);
             self.footnote_active = true;
 
             Some(Event::Start(
diff --git a/src/tree.rs b/src/tree.rs
index 50b6628..f76a876 100644
--- a/src/tree.rs
+++ b/src/tree.rs
@@ -14,45 +14,17 @@ pub struct Event<C, A> {
     pub span: Span,
 }
 
-pub struct Tree<C, A>(Box<[Node<C, A>]>);
-
 #[derive(Clone)]
-pub struct Inlines<'t, C, A> {
-    iter: std::slice::Iter<'t, Node<C, A>>,
-}
-
-impl<'t, C, A> Iterator for Inlines<'t, C, A> {
-    type Item = Span;
-
-    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Self::Item> {
-        self.iter.next().map(|n| n.span)
-    }
-}
-
-impl<C, A> Tree<C, A> {
-    pub fn root(&self) -> Branch<C, A> {
-        let head = self.0[NodeIndex::root().index()].next;
-        // SAFETY: tree must outlive the branch
-        let nodes = unsafe { std::mem::transmute::<&[Node<C, A>], &'static [Node<C, A>]>(&self.0) };
-        Branch {
-            nodes,
-            branch: Vec::new(),
-            head,
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-#[derive(Clone)]
-pub struct Branch<C: 'static, A: 'static> {
-    nodes: &'static [Node<C, A>],
+pub struct Tree<C: 'static, A: 'static> {
+    nodes: std::rc::Rc<[Node<C, A>]>,
     branch: Vec<NodeIndex>,
     head: Option<NodeIndex>,
 }
 
-impl<C, A> Branch<C, A> {
+impl<C: Clone, A: Clone> Tree<C, A> {
     pub fn empty() -> Self {
         Self {
-            nodes: &[],
+            nodes: vec![].into_boxed_slice().into(),
             branch: Vec::new(),
             head: None,
         }
@@ -78,7 +50,7 @@ impl<C, A> Branch<C, A> {
             self.head = n.next;
         }
         Self {
-            nodes: self.nodes,
+            nodes: self.nodes.clone(),
             branch: Vec::new(),
             head,
         }
@@ -99,7 +71,7 @@ impl<C, A> Branch<C, A> {
     }
 }
 
-impl<C: Clone, A: Clone> Iterator for Branch<C, A> {
+impl<C: Clone, A: Clone> Iterator for Tree<C, A> {
     type Item = Event<C, A>;
 
     fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Self::Item> {
@@ -223,7 +195,12 @@ impl<C: Clone, A: Clone> Builder<C, A> {
     }
 
     pub(super) fn finish(self) -> Tree<C, A> {
-        Tree(self.nodes.into_boxed_slice())
+        let head = self.nodes[NodeIndex::root().index()].next;
+        Tree {
+            nodes: self.nodes.into_boxed_slice().into(),
+            branch: Vec::new(),
+            head,
+        }
     }
 
     fn add_node(&mut self, node: Node<C, A>) {
@@ -259,11 +236,11 @@ impl<C: std::fmt::Debug + Clone + 'static, A: std::fmt::Debug + Clone + 'static>
     for Builder<C, A>
 {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
-        self.clone().finish().root().fmt(f)
+        self.clone().finish().fmt(f)
     }
 }
 
-impl<C: std::fmt::Debug + Clone, A: std::fmt::Debug + Clone> std::fmt::Debug for Branch<C, A> {
+impl<C: std::fmt::Debug + Clone, A: std::fmt::Debug + Clone> std::fmt::Debug for Tree<C, A> {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
         const INDENT: &str = "  ";
         let mut level = 0;
@@ -348,11 +325,11 @@ mod test {
         b.exit();
         b.enter(3, sp);
         b.atom(31, sp);
-        let tree = b.finish();
+        b.exit();
+        let mut tree = b.finish();
 
-        let mut root_branch = tree.root();
         assert_eq!(
-            (&mut root_branch).take(3).collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+            (&mut tree).take(3).collect::<Vec<_>>(),
             &[
                 Event {
                     kind: EventKind::Enter(1),
@@ -369,14 +346,14 @@ mod test {
             ]
         );
         assert_eq!(
-            root_branch.next(),
+            tree.next(),
             Some(Event {
                 kind: EventKind::Enter(2),
                 span: sp
             })
         );
         assert_eq!(
-            root_branch.take_branch().collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+            tree.take_branch().collect::<Vec<_>>(),
             &[
                 Event {
                     kind: EventKind::Enter(21),
@@ -393,7 +370,7 @@ mod test {
             ]
         );
         assert_eq!(
-            root_branch.collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+            tree.collect::<Vec<_>>(),
             &[
                 Event {
                     kind: EventKind::Enter(3),