Plant · GBIF taxon 2685577
Sicilian fir
Abies nebrodensisAlso known as Madonie Fir, Sicilian Silver Fir
Sicilian firs are ancient evergreen conifers restricted to a single isolated valley system in northern Sicily, where fewer than 30 mature individuals survive in the wild. Their stiff, dark green needles grow densely around stiff branches, forming a compact, rounded crown adapted to harsh wind and rocky limestone soils. Once believed extinct due to historic deforestation, intense conservation programs now cultivate seedlings to save this critically endangered tree.
EndangeredEvergreenConifer
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Critically EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXCritically EndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
Predators
Not available
ThreatsExtremely small population size, climate change, grazing, fire
HabitatsMontane Mediterranean forests, rocky limestone slopes
Life span300–500 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyPinaceae
- SpeciesAbies nebrodensis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Recognizable as a compact fir with stiff needles and upright cylindrical cones on limestone cliffs.
- Support conservation
- Do not touch, prune, or collect seeds from wild specimens, and stay on official trails.
Responsible observation
- Location: Look for surviving wild trees within the protected Madonie Regional Natural Park.
- Identification: Note the short, stiff needles that spread around all sides of the shoot.
- Conservation: Stay on marked trails to protect fragile saplings and soil conditions.
Close Relative (c) böhringer friedrich, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Liné1, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Donald Davesne, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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