{"id":62589,"date":"2022-04-14T20:36:15","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T18:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitsicily.info\/?p=62589"},"modified":"2022-05-09T21:42:24","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T19:42:24","slug":"botanical-sicily-appeals-to-everyone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visitsicily.altrama.com\/en\/botanical-sicily-appeals-to-everyone\/","title":{"rendered":"BOTANICAL SICILY APPEALS TO EVERYONE"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE PAPYRUS<\/b><\/p>\n

The Pharaohs, the Pyramids, the souls sailing the quiet Nile waters: ancient Egyptian history has always fascinated everyone, not just children. In the <\/span>River Ciane natural reserve<\/b>, close to Syracuse<\/strong><\/a>, it is possible to take a tour through an oasis where papyrus<\/strong> grows and discover the secrets of the craftsmen who still process this plant today.<\/span><\/p>\n

A GIANT TULIP FIELD<\/b><\/p>\n

You don’t need to go to Holland to to get a souvenir picture in a magnificent tulip field<\/strong>. There are fabulous tulip blossom displays in Sicily too. <\/span>
\n<\/span>From March to May<\/strong>, in <\/span>Blufi,<\/b> on the Madonie Mountains<\/strong>, in front of the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell’Olio<\/strong> there is a spectacular display of tulips with the snow-clad Mount Etna<\/a> in the background. Thousands of red tulips grow wild in a wheat field, among almond and olive trees. Wild tulips are not picked but make an inviting attraction for photography enthusiasts.<\/span><\/p>\n

LIVING FOSSILS: THE PETAGNA AND THE ZELKOVA<\/b><\/p>\n

In the Nebrodi Mountains<\/strong><\/a>, it is possible to see the <\/span>Petagna<\/b>, a dinosaur plant. This living fossil dates back to the Tertiary period (30 million years), and what makes it so unique is it has a female flower to which three or four male flowers are attached. It grows near the Catafurco waterfall<\/strong>, close to Galati Mamertino<\/strong>, in the area of Tortorici<\/strong> and also in the Mangalaviti forest<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is another prehistoric plant that has managed to escape extinction, it can be found in the Buccheri<\/strong><\/a> area and it is the so called <\/span>Zelkova sicula<\/i><\/b>, a plant dating back to the Tertiary period. <\/span>
\n<\/span>It was thought to have disappeared. Instead, a few specimens have survived and they can only be seen in the Pisano forest<\/strong>, a few kilometres from the centre of Buccheri, heading towards the Sugherata district<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

L’ACERONE<\/b><\/p>\n

On the route back to the Nebrodi<\/strong>. Along the path that goes from Portella Femmina Morta<\/strong> to Monte Soro<\/strong>, (1800 mt, the highest peak in this mountain chain), stands one of the most majestic specimens in the park<\/strong><\/a>, a mountain maple known as the <\/span>Acerone<\/b> (the big maple). This 500-year-old monumental tree<\/strong> is 24 metres high and has a circumference of more than 9 metres. <\/span>
\n<\/span>How many children would it take to hug it all?<\/span><\/p>\n

THE HUNDRED HORSES CHESTNUT TREE<\/b><\/p>\n

According to a legend, during a sudden storm, a queen and her hundred knights<\/strong> found shelter under the leafy branches of this giant tree. <\/span>In Sant’Alfio<\/strong>, on the eastern slope of Mount Etna<\/strong>, stands the largest and oldest chestnut tree in the world<\/strong>. <\/span>According to experts, it is between 2,000 and 4,000 years old and is about 22 metres in height, while its trunk is 22 metres in circumference. The majestic tree is a <\/span>Guinnes World Record <\/b>holder and it was awarded the title of <\/span>‘Messenger of Peace Monument’ by UNESCO<\/a><\/b> in 2008.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

THE ORANGE BLOSSOM SCENT IN THE ‘GARDEN OF MYTH’.<\/b><\/p>\n

Between the Catania Plain<\/strong><\/a> and the northern slopes of the Iblei mountains<\/strong>, there is a Mediterranean-exotic garden<\/strong> stretching over about 3 hectares, known as the “Garden of Myth”<\/strong>. In spring, orange blossoms perfume the air and sublimate the harmony of nature. <\/span>The garden overlooks a lake that, according to the legend, was created by Hercules. Today, the <\/span>Biviere lake <\/b>is a beautiful naturalistic oasis where hundreds of different species of birds<\/strong> find shelter and rest.<\/span><\/p>\n

CROCUS LONGIFLORUS (OR AUTUMN SAFFRON)<\/b><\/p>\n

In the woods<\/strong> in Sicily, it is quite easy to come across <\/span>Crocus longiflorus<\/span><\/i>, the autumn saffron<\/strong>. Wild saffron has nothing to do with the farmed variety used for cooking.\u00a0 Its natural growth suggests that the soil is perfectly suited to this precious flower.\u00a0 The <\/span>red gold<\/strong> is extracted from the flower, but the wild ones are purple with straw-yellow stigmas, giving colour to the autumn woods and creating an enchanted atmosphere.<\/span><\/p>\n

THE PIONEERS OF ETNA<\/b><\/p>\n

A hike to explore Etna<\/a><\/strong> will give you the chance to discover several plant species that defy the most extreme conditions, this is why they are regarded as<\/span> real volcano pioneers.<\/b>
\n<\/span>On the northern slopes of Etna<\/strong>, between 1450 and 2000 metres<\/strong> above sea level, smooth white barks stand out straight on black lava fields. This is the birch (Betulla aetnensis<\/strong>), an endemic<\/strong> Sicilian tree that only grows wild in the Etna region and is typical of northern latitudes such as Scandinavian countries<\/strong>. Its exceptional presence in Sicily marks the end of the Ice Age 10,000 years ago. On the Sartorius Mountains<\/strong>, in a cluster of “button” craters in the north-eastern part of the volcano, there is a very unique birch forest.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>Climbing the volcano, it is possible to see <\/span>shrub vegetation<\/b> with a few species that are able to survive in an extremely hostile habitat of lava and sand. This is the typical <\/strong><\/span>pulvino<\/i><\/strong> vegetation<\/strong>, which is well adapted to the harshness of the mountain environment. <\/span>The most typical example is the <\/span>Astragalus<\/b> (Astragalus siculus, today Astracanthus) or holy thorn<\/strong>, a variety that characterises the high mountain landscape. <\/span>In summer it has pink flowers and is home to other more delicate plants such as violets, cerastes and antemids<\/strong>, it protects them from the wind and, thanks to its strong thorns, from the bites of grazers and wild herbivors.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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