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Quercus pubescens (Fagaceae)

This majestic oak grows in the land owned by Mr Gianpietro Giuseppe and is believed to be the biggest specimen in Pescara.

Its trunk is stocky and thick (6,3 m of circumference) and presents an enormous cavity in it, only accessible from above. This cavity was once used by partisans to hide during the war or to stow food; now, it is a refuge for local fauna, owls, squirrels, cicadas (they settle under the cortex and come out in summer). Jays, instead, come and go in September, stealing acorns from the tree; some these might fall or be forgotten by the birds and grow into a new plant.

The root system of the tree is vast and goes very deep, granting stability.

The phytosanitary conditions of the oak (400 years old) are fair, due to excessive pruning in the past.

In Italian it is called Quercia delle streghe (Witch oak); legends say that witches met under the big branches of the oak to make spells, curses and rituals.

How to get there:

The monumental tree is in Passo Cordone; you can get there by highway 81 from Penne to Pianella.

Botanical profile of the oak:

The specie has a big range, whose central area concentrates in the southern part of Europe.

The oak can be found in each Italian region.

The specie is heliophilous and xerophilous, it resists at low temperatures but need high temperatures in summer. It grows between 200-800 m of altitude on southern slopes.

It grows in dry woods and shrubbery.

In the North of Italy, on calcareous, rocky and well-drained lands, it grows together with Fraxinus ornus, Carpinus betulus and Pinus nigra. In the Centre and South of Italy it only grows in holm oak woods and in the upper parts of Turkey oak woods and durmast woods.

The wood of this specie is harder and heavier than that of other oaks, its fibres tend to detach and therefore it is less used than durmast and English oak; it is an excellent fuel and produces excellent carbon.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)