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Betula aetnensis Raf.

In the beech forest of Vituddi, in Santa Maria, within the protection zone B of the Etna Park, there’s a 250-year-old specimen of Etna birch; it is about 72-ft high.
It’s actually just a stump with five stems reaching circumferences between 3.93 and 6.7 ft.
It is considered one of the oldest specimens in this area and it appears in excellent phytosanitary conditions.

How to reach it:

From Randazzo, follow the forest dirt track.

Botanical card:

Belonging to the Betulaceae family, Betula aetnenesis is an endemic species of Sicily, where it grows on soils of volcanic origin as a pioneering species.
Like the common birches, it features white bark with birch granules.

This species can withstand harsh and hostile environmental conditions, such sudden and prolonged frosts or droughts. In herbal medicine, the hydro-alcoholic extract of the birch has a powerful diuretic, lymphatic, draining action for the urinary tract, as well as antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)