Quercus pubescens - downy oak (forest alveolus)

Genus of about 600 species of monoecious, semi-deciduous or evergreen trees and shrubs, widely distributed in woodlands and scrub of the Northern Hemisphere. Quercus pubescens is a tree up to 20 m tall with semi-deciduous foliage. This characteristic, which is also found in other oak species, means that in autumn the leaves dry but do not fall and persist on the branches for a long time until the end of winter. The initially pyramidal crown in young specimens becomes globose, hemispherical and expanded in adult specimens. Erect, sinuous trunk with dark gray bark, broken into many small irregular scales; young branches covered with a dense felt of whitish hairs. The leaves, light green in colour, are alternate, lobed, with an elongated oval shape; the margin is divided into 5-7 pairs of entire or sub-lobed lobes. The petiole is pubescent, like the underside of the younger leaves.

Pedoclimatic needs

Downy oak adapts to all types of clayey, arid and rocky soil, preferring calcareous ones and lends itself to the colonization of denuded environments. This heliophilous species also tolerates wind and salt, sometimes reaching the rocky coasts facing the sea. This oak is also rustic and tolerates cold, snow and even intense and prolonged frosts down to -16°/-18°c. Although little used for public and private furnishings, due to its beauty, versatility and resistance it should find greater use in parks, avenues and gardens.

Botanical Information

Botanical Name: Quercus pubescens

Family: Fagaceae