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Salix alba subsp. alba L.

A wondrous specimen of white willow (Salix alba subsp. alba L.), some 150 years old, grows in Costa del Salice, in the municipality of Floresta (Me), among the riparian vegetation of the protection “zone D” of the Nebrodi Park. The tree is 49.2-ft tall, with a maximum trunk circumference of 16.7 ft, already 14.7-ft wide at some 4.2 ft from the ground.

The trunk looks massive, spiralling from its roots, with a brownish-grey, cracked bark; at some 4.9 ft from the ground, it splits into two large branches. The crown, wide and expanded, is supported by long ascending and spread branches. It is probably one of the largest specimens of this species in Sicily; next to it, there are other large specimens, one of which features a circumference of about 13 ft at some 4.5 ft from the ground.

How to get there

Take the SS 116 road to Contrada Galatello. The tree grows there, on private property.

Botanical card

The white willow belongs to the Salicaceae family, widespread throughout Europe. The crown is open and the branches thin, flexible and resistant. The leaves are lanceolate and sharp. The Salix genus includes about 300 species, with quick growth but limited longevity – typical features best-represented by the very white willows.

White willows are used to consolidate escarpments and landslide slopes; the wood, not very valuable and quite light, is used in the paper industry and as fuel.

The plant is also used in the medicinal field: salicylic acid, the basis of aspirin, is obtained from white willows, while their bark is rich in tannin.

The slender and flexible branches called “wicker”- resulting from hatchet pruning techniques – are commonly used to tie vines and handicraft creations.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)