How do you recognise Downy oak (Quercus pubescens)?

Leaf

Radio Tonreg, Wikimedia · CC BY 2.0

Downy oak

Quercus pubescens Willd.

Also known as: Pubescent oak

Family: Fagaceae

10 to 20 m tall

Dry, calcareous hillsides, southern regions

Flowering: April – May

Full sun

Part shade

-23°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

Leaves and young twigs covered with a fine greyish down, unlike other oaks. The downiness of the leaves and young twigs helps to recognise the downy oak, but it can vary. Also compare the shape of the lobes, the size of the leaves and the acorns.

🍃 Leaves

Very variable but generally more or less downy, especially beneath; young twigs are often hairy.

🌸 Flowers

Inconspicuous catkins

🍎 Fruits

Small, shortly stalked acorns

🪵 Bark

Grey, fissured into small plates

🗺️ Distribution

Southern and eastern Europe, Asia Minor; common in southern France on dry calcareous hillsides

🐝 Value for pollinators

Catkins producing pollen in spring, foliage hosting many butterfly caterpillars

✂️ Horticultural uses

Used for planting dry hillsides and as a reforestation species in southern France

⚠️ Possible toxicity

Acorns rich in tannins, toxic in large quantity to some domestic animals

⚠️ Look-alike species

Downy oak

Quercus pubescens

Sessile oak

Quercus petraea

The downiness of the leaves and young twigs helps to recognise the downy oak, but it can vary. Also compare the shape of the lobes, the size of the leaves and the acorns.

🌿 Other Fagaceae to discover

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.