In nature, it is very common for trees to be utilized as a growing platform by other types of plants such as creepers and moss. Nevertheless, a far rarer instance is when two living trees are stacked on each other. Nestled in the rural community of Casorzo, near Turin, the double tree of Casorzo is a quirky botanical rarity, where a cherry tree substituted the soil beneath with the canopy of a mulberry tree.
By: Richard Halsey
Date: 16:00 25.05.22
Last Update: 17:55 28.11.23
Located 50 kilometers east of Turin, the low-key town of Casorzo is mostly known for its 18th century Church of Saint Vincent and an ample wine industry. Alongside its somewhat typical attractions however lies an utter rarity, a pair of trees known locally as Bialbero di Casorzo. Ensconced in the middle of an open field at the town’s southern outskirts, Casorzo’s double tree features a cherry tree that grows out of a mulberry tree’s trunk, as if it was a soil.
While no one knows exactly how this natural marvel came into being, it is widely speculated that a bird dropped a cherry kernel right on top of the mulberry tree, where all its main branches intersect. Over the years, the cherry tree rapidly grew by sacking nutrients out of its host while also extending its roots all the way down to the ground.
The natural world abounds with numerous cases where a pair of plants form an epiphytic relationship, yet it is extremely uncommon to see a full-grown tree lies on top of another one. In recent years, the double-tree gained more and more popularity among locals and was even adopted by some of the region’s wineries. The fenced site is about one hour by car from downtown Turin.
