This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)

Morus nigra (Moraceae) and Prunus avium (Rosaceae)

A very rare, almost unique case is that of the double tree of Casorzo (AT): in a field, there’s a large mulberry tree surmounted by a cherry tree. The mulberry tree (Morus nigra), about 17-ft high, has a hollow trunk which hosts a cherry tree inside; the latter has now reached the height of more than 16 ft, like any other cherry tree that grows with its roots sunk into the ground.

Scientists have long wondered how this spectacular co-existence can exist: most probably, a bird dropped a cherry tree seed in the hollow trunk of the mulberry and the new plant eventually managed to grow inside it.

A plant that grows on another one is something that may happen in nature – the parasitic species are called “epiphyte” but, in our case, two well-developed plants coexisting on each other is absolutely out of the ordinary.

How to get there:

The double tree is visible from the road between Casorzo and Grana.

Wild Cherry Botanical card:

This species comes from western Asia or perhaps central and north-western Europe; its range of distribution cannot be easily established since this tree was spread by man in very ancient times.
In Italy, the wild cherry (Prunus avium) grows spontaneously on soils that tend to be subacid.

The species is heliophilic, very resistant to low temperatures, although it may suffer from water shortage on superficial and carbonated soils. It’s, therefore, quite demanding in terms of water and nutrients such as nitrogen.

Wild cherries can be considered a pioneer species along with birches from former pastures or meadows.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)