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Quercus x fontanesii Guss.

There is this wonderful specimen of Quercus x fontanesii Guss. in a Turkey oak wood in the Serra Travetto district (in the municipality of Caronia – ME). The wood lies inside the “protection zone A” of the Nebrodi Regional Park.
That beautiful tree is about 300-400 years old and has survived the past indiscriminate cutting.
It’s 72-ft tall, with a maximum trunk circumference of 16 ft, already 17-ft wide at some 4.2 ft from the ground. It features a broad crown developed in all directions, quite asymmetrical and measuring 69 x 62 ft. The trunk has the peculiar shape of an elephant paw, straight and slightly tapered.

The plant is in good condition, with the trunk covered with moss and lichen, especially on the northern side.

How to reach it

From the town of S. Fratello, travel towards Case S. Mamma.

Botanical card

Similar to the Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.), the Q. x fontanesii is a natural hybrid between Q. cerris var. gussonei and Q. suber (cork oak).

It is found in single specimens or in small groves in the thermophilic oak forests of Cerro di Gussone, on the northern Tyrrhenian side of the Nebrodi Mountain Range, in the lower Macchie and in Bosco della Ficuzza, in Palermo, as well as in the province of Salerno.

The branches have spiral leaves, and the flowers are gathered in catkins, with 4-7 petals.
The bark features a reddish edge and is covered by plaques.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)