Located between the towns of Grana and Casorzo in Piemonte, Italy, is a very unique tree – well, they’re actually two trees, one growing on top of the other. Locally known as ‘Bialbero de Casorzo’ or the ‘double tree of Casorzo’, this natural oddity consists of a cherry tree growing on top of a mulberry tree.

No one really knows how the cherry tree managed to take root and survive in such a bizarre position. Locals believe that a bird might have dropped a cherry seed on top of the mulberry tree, which then grew its roots through the hollow trunk to reach the soil below.

Photo: agfa the frog

What’s really unusual about the double tree of Casorzo is that both the trees are really quite large, which is not very common in the case of parasitic growth. Such anomalies have occurred previously in nature, but the parasite tree is generally very small and stunted. In this case, however, the cherry tree is as large as any other normal tree.

Photo: alfio cioffi

Both trees merged together make for an impressive sight, with their branches spreading five meters across. And the double tree’s lifespan has been surprisingly long, given the fact that the cherry tree receives all its nourishment through the mulberry tree. Although not the only double-tree, also known as an Epiphyte, in the world, the Bialbero de Casorzo is probably the most impressive-looking.

Photo: greenme

Photo: Momenti Felici