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Abies nebrodensis (Lojac.) Mattei

This tree features a straight or slightly curved posture and can reach a height of 32.8-49.2 ft.
It belongs to the Pinaceae family. Its foliage is dark green, conical-pyramidal in shape, and slightly compact. It has needles up to 0.39-inch long, stiff and stinging.
Specimens of Abies nebrodensis grow spontaneously only in Sicily and are officially acknowledged by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

Considered extinct, some 30 specimens of this species were rediscovered in 1957 on the Madonie Mountain Range. This type of tree was, therefore, named “Nebrodi Fir” because the Madonie Peaks used to be part of the Ebrodi Mountain Range.

This species is currently threatened of extinction and is catalogued among the 50 most endangered botanical plants in the Mediterranean area of the Mediterranean Basin.
A recent project has been spearheaded Sicily to safeguard this very species and enlarge its presence. In the past, Abies nebrodensis wood was used for both residential and religious buildings, most likely leading to its almost complete disappearance.
These very trees now belong to the Regional State Forestry Company.

How to get there

Visitors can access the forest through the gate in the Quacella district and then follow the marked path.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)