Common Name: Downy Oak

General Information

Quercus pubescens is a deciduous tree that usually grows 15 - 20 metres tall but can sometimes reach 25 metres. The bole is usually crooked and uneven[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for use as a source of materials and as a medicine, occasionally as a food. It is often encouraged in oak woodlands since it is one of the best hosts for various species of truffles.

Known Hazards

All parts of the plant contain tannins. Whilst tannins are found in many foods, and have a range of medicinal uses. They are usually only present in low concentrations. In some foods made from oaks (particularly the seeds), the tannin content can be quite high unless the food is treated to reduce tannin content.
Tannins are only of low toxicity and, because of their bitter taste and astringency, are unlikely to be eaten in large quantities. However, if they are taken in excess, they can cause stomach pains; constipation followed by bloody diarrhoea: excessive thirst; and excessive urination[].

Botanical References

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Range

Central and southern Europe - Germany to Spain, east to Ukraine, Bulgaria and western Turkey; W. Asia - northern Turkey

Habitat

Woods and dry hills[] in both siliceous and limestone soils[]. Dry places, on calcareous, schistose, or argillaceous soils; at elevations up to 500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Quercus pubescens is a very cold-hardy tree, tolerating temperatures down to around -25°c when dormant.
Prefers a sunny position, though young plants tolerate reasonable levels of side shade[]. Prefers a good deep fertile loam which can be on the stiff side[]. The plant is fairly indifferent to soil pH, growing in lime-rich, well-drained soils in the north of its range and often found on acidic soils in the south[]. Tolerates moderate exposure, surviving well but being somewhat stunted. Established plants are moderately drought tolerant[].
The seed ripens in its first year.
Closely related to Quercus petraea[].
Plants do not usually respond well to coppicing[].
Seedlings soon develop a taproot and become intolerant of root disturbance, they should be planted into their permanent positions whilst young[].
This species is one of the most frequent hosts of all the economically important truffle fungi[].
This species hybridizes freely in the wild with other members of the genus, including Quercus pyrenaica, Quercus petraea and Quercus frainetto[, ].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked. A famine food, used when all else fails[]. The elliptic seed is 15 - 35mm long[, , ].
The seed is usually cooked before eating, though it can also be eaten raw. It can be eaten whole, though it is more commonly dried, then ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread.
In some species, especially many of those classified as 'white oaks', the seeds are low in tannins and have a more or less sweet and agreeable flavour. The seed of most species, however, have a very bitter flavour, due especially to the presence of tannins. In these species there are various processes that can remove or at least reduce the amount of these bitter substances (although other water-soluble substances, including some minerals, will also be removed).
Tannins are water-soluble and therefore the easiest way to remove or reduce tannin levels is by soaking in water. A few different methods are listed:-
A traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter and allow the wet soil to gradually leach the tannins. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency and bitterness.
Another method was to wrap the seeds in a cloth bag and place them in a stream for several weeks.
Drying the seed and grinding it to a powder before soaking speeds up the process. The fastest method is to use hot water, by cooking the powder and changing the water several times until the cooking water is no longer bitter. Alternatively, you can use cold water (which is reported to produce the best quality flour). In this case, you soak the powdered seed in cold water for 12 - 24 hours then discard the water. Repeat this process for a number of times until the soak water is no longer bitter.

The roasted seed of many Quercus species has been used as a coffee substitute.

Medicinal

Quercus (oak) species are used in the traditional medicine of many cultures, being valued especially for their tannins. Various parts of the plant can be used, most frequently it is the leaves, bark, seeds, seed cups or the galls that are produced as a result of insect damage. A decoction or infusion is astringent, antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, styptic and haemostatic. It is taken internally to treat conditions such as acute diarrhea, dysentery and haemorrhages. Externally, it is used as a mouthwash to treat toothache or gum problems and is applied topically as a wash on cuts, burns, various skin problems, haemorrhoids and oral, genital and anal mucosa inflammation[]. Extracts of the plant can be added to ointments and used for the healing of cuts[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

This species is extensively used for the afforestation of Austrian karst[].
Considering the remarkable increase of tree ring size experienced by the downy oak in response to the augmentation of atmospheric CO2 during the last century, its increased use in Southern European afforestations could be a very effective tool in order to combat the greenhouse effect[].

Other Uses

The leaves of most species in this genus are more or less rich in tannins. A mulch of the partially decayed leaves can be placed around vulnerable plants in order to repel slugs, snails, grubs etc, and these will in time break down to add humus and nutrients to the soil. Fresh leaves should be used with caution, however, since as these decay they utilize some of the nitrogen in the soil and thus can inhibit plant growth[, ].

Oak galls are excrescences that are sometimes produced in great numbers on the tree and are caused by the activity of the larvae of different insects. The insects live inside these galls, obtaining their nutrient therein. When the insect pupates and leaves, the gall can be used as a rich source of tannin, that can also be used as a dyestuff and is also used by many cultures to make ink[, ].
The bark of oak trees is also usually rich in tannins and can be used as a dyestuff and for waterproofing rope[, ].

The wood is hard, durable even under water, not very elastic[, ]. Of good quality, but usually not available in large dimensions. Due to its irregular fibre distribution and the crookedness of the trunks, the wood is scarcely considered as industrial lumber. In the past, it was largely employed for railway sleepers, while nowadays it is occasionally used for carpentry, boat-building, furniture or packaging[, , ].
The wood is a good fuel - burning well and giving off a lot of heat. It makes a good charcoak[].

Propagation

Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool overwinter but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown in situ will produce the best trees[]. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.