Downy Oak
Quercus Pubescens
In the Malatesta garden of Villa Miralfiore stands a majestic Quercus pubescens, or Downy Oak, with its sturdy trunk and velvety leaves.
Native to Southern Europe, this resilient oak can grow up to 20 meters tall, with its broad and majestic canopy shaping the hilly landscapes of central Italy.
The fruit is an oval-shaped achene with dark streaks when fresh, attached to a thick, hairy stalk. The cap is hemispherical and covers about one-third to half of the acorn's length.
The upper surface of the leaves is dark green and rough, while the underside is lighter green. Both sides are covered with fine hairs, which may disappear from older leaves by the end of summer.
Young expanding leaves are whitish or pinkish, with very soft fuzz. The shape of the leaves is highly variable, divided into 3–7 pairs of deep or shallow lobes, often with smaller sub-lobes. The lobes are usually rounded and rarely sharp. The tip of the leaf is typically wide and rounded, while the base can be heart-shaped, broadly rounded, or sometimes pointed.