They arrived in Sicily “against their will”, transported by the conditions created thanks to the immense glaciations that hit Europe between 70,000 and 10,000 years ago. The birch trees of Mount Etna remained even after the ice retreated, finding an ideal habitat on this gigantic volcano which today reaches 3369 meters high. The Scandinavian plants par excellence, thus, have become Sicilian. And they created a new generation and type of birch tree. Exactly, the Betula Aetnensis.
Characteristics of Etna birches
The typical characteristic of this “Mediterranean” birch species is that of having developed lymphatic systems that can adapt to the heat. The trunk is light, almost white, unlike its gray Scandinavian sisters; since it does not have enough moss to protect the wood it has to repel the sun’s rays with the white colour. The foliage is also lighter and retains its autumn golden colour much longer than northern birches. The birches of Etna, then, have… eyes! In the true sense of the word.
Those round drawings that appear in each trunk, in the shape of an eye in fact, are silent witnesses of adaptation. In fact, it seems that they are the “memory” of fallen trunks “absorbed” by the nearby birch which, in order to survive climate change, sucked away the vital residues, incorporating them into its own trunk.
The useful birch
Birch is a plant that has also been used for thousands years for the physical care of the body. Its diuretic and purifying properties have been known since ancient times, and its notable antiseptic properties to provide relief to the urinary tract should not be forgotten. Finally, it is an excellent anti-inflammatory natural medicine. Very often birch trunks were used on Etna to create barrels, inlays, for the production of charcoal and for the creation of furniture. The foundation of the Regional Park and the awareness of the fragility of this species meant that its exploitation was stopped and the plants were left free to grow, to the delight of tourists and hikers.
Etna’s birch is in pain
The ongoing climate change, not due to humans’ fault but with their great complicity, is transforming Sicilian temperatures and even Etna, with its high mass, no longer guarantees the coolness of the past.
Due to climate change, birch trees are experiencing yet another adaptation stress. Around them, temperatures rise every year more and the characteristics of the air and land increasingly resemble those of Africa. Will a plant born from the cold be able to adapt to the “desertification” of the Etna area?
We know that birch trees are very good at finding ways to survive. They have done it in the past and will do it again. But their survival is also threatened by fires – increasingly frequent – and by new diseases brought by microorganisms that proliferate in the heat. Some viruses that died in the cold are now free to act and many plants are already suffering – or dying! – because of this.
Can they be saved?
According to botanists, yes, there is a possibility of saving these trees before it is too late. However, it is necessary to intensify studies and help them where possible by experimenting with grafts and supplements that help the plant cope with the new temperatures. But we need to do it immediately because too much time has already been wasted. And because climate change is galloping fast today. Much faster than the adaptation time of a tree.
Admire the birch trees …
In order to admire the birches of Etna, we recommend three locations, more than others. The groves surrounding the Sartorius Craters, those that arise around the ski facilities of Piano Provenzana and certainly the birch bushes at the Citelli Refuge. These easy non-stressful routes you can do either with a guide or alone, allow you – especially in autumn – to enjoy a unique spectacle of color in Sicily. (PHOTOS BY G. MUSUMECI)