Bialbero di Casorzo

The Bialbero di Casorzo — literally the "double tree of Casorzo" — is a rare botanical phenomenon in the Monferrato hills of Piedmont, near the small communes of Casorzo and Grana in the province of Asti. A fully grown cherry tree sprouts from the crown of a mature mulberry tree, its roots threading down through the hollow trunk to reach the soil below — a striking instance of epiphytic growth with few known parallels of this scale anywhere in the world. In spring the cherry tree blooms high above the mulberry's canopy, drawing botanists and curious visitors from across the region. The site sits on a gentle hill surrounded by the characteristic vineyards of the Monferrato, well off the main tourist circuit.