Quercus hirtifolia - Trees and Shrubs Online

The leaves of Quercus hirtifolia are hairy when young, soon becoming glabrous above. Arboretum de la Bergerette, France, September 2021. Image Shaun Haddock.

Shrub to 5 m or a tree to 15 m often with several trunks, young shoots pubescent, glabrous by the second year, leaves evergreen, somewhat leathery, obovate to elliptic, to 12 × 7 cm, with up to 10 bristle-tipped teeth on each side, mostly towards the apex, undulate and sometimes shallowly lobed, with 6–12 lateral veins on each side of the midrib, apex pointed to round, bristle-tipped, base cordate to rounded. They are pubescent on both sides when young becoming glossy dark green and glabrous above or nearly so, hairy at least along the veins beneath. Petiole to 1 cm long, densely pubescent at least when young. Fruits solitary or in clusters of up to 3 on a peduncle to 2.5 cm, cupule hemispherical, to 12 or 15 mm × 1 cm, acorn ovoid, to 20 × 13 mm, ripening the first year. (Vázquez, Valencia A. & Nixon 2004).

Distribution Mexico Hidalgo, Puebla, Veracruz

Habitat Oak-pine forest and cloud forest at 1600–2450 m.

USDA Hardiness Zone 7

RHS Hardiness Rating H4

Conservation status Endangered (EN)

Only described in 2004, Quercus hirtifolia was introduced by Allen Coombes from Puebla, Mexico, in 2007, and further collections were made by the International Oak Society in 2009.

In the UK it is represented at White House Farm, Kent, by specimens 6 m × 9 cm and 5 m × 7 cm in 2019; at Thenford House, Northamptonshire, 4 m × 4 cm in 2019; at Bowood House, Wiltshire, 5 m in 2021 (The Tree Register 2025). It also grows at Penrice Castle, Wales (T. Methuen-Campbell pers. comm.) and Halloughton Grange, Warwickshire (D. Gooder, pers. comm. 2021).

At Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France, a group of three trees grown from seed collected in Puebla in 2009 and planted in 2014 has reached 6 m × 8 cm in 2021 (B. Chassé pers. comm.). All have been fruiting abundantly for several years, and many seedlings can be found beneath them every spring (B. Chassé, pers. comm. 2021). At Arboretum de la Bergerette, France, grown from Puebla seed, a tree was about 2.5 m tall in 2019 (pers. obs.). It has grown slowly at Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain: planted in 2010, it was only 1 m tall in 2021 (F. Garin, pers. comm.)

The epithet hirtifolia means ‘with hairy leaves’ from Latin hirtus (‘hairy, shaggy’) + folium (‘leaf’), in reference to the tomentum on the undersides of the leaves. Hirtus is related to hirsutus (‘hairy’), the root of ‘hirsute’ and similar words in other languages. It derives from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning ‘to bristle’, shared with ‘abhor’, ‘horror’, ‘horrid’, due to the connection with hair bristling (standing on end) as a reaction to fright or fear (Wiktionary 2025).

Quercus hirtifolia acorns at Arboretum de la Bergerette, France, September 2021. Image Shaun Haddock.

Attractively-coloured, fresh acorns of Quercus hirtifolia in Zacapoaxtla, Puebla, in September 2021. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

Quercus hirtifolia acorns starting to form at Thenford House, Northamptonshire, UK in September 2021. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

A vigorous young Quercus hirtifolia at Thenford House, Northamptonshire, UK in September 2021. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

Coloured young Quercus hirtifolia foliage of the second growth flush emerging at Halloughton Grange, Warwickshire, UK in September 2021. Image Maricela Rodriguez.

The leaves of Quercus hirtifolia have prominet bristle-tipped teeth. Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France, August 2021. Image Béatrice Chassé.

Quercus hirtifolia at Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France, produces numerous acorns. August 2021. Image Béatrice Chassé.

A vigorous flowering shoot on Quercus hirtifolia showing tomentose stems. Zongozotla, Puebla, April 2016. Image Canek Ledesma.

Quercus hirtifolia: A long male catkin in April 2016. Zongozotla, Puebla. Image Canek Ledesma.

The wavy-edged leaves of Quercus hirtifolia are more or less glabrous above when mature. Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain, July 2021. Image Francisco Garin..

Red young leaves on a Quercus hirtifolia at Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain, in July 2021. Image Francisco Garin.

Quercus hirtifolia leaves have a covering of hairs beneath. Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain, July 2021. Image Francisco Garin.

Quercus hirtifolia: Young, downy shoots of with expanding, hairy, red leaves and developing male catkins at Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France, in April 2023. Image Béatrice Chassé.

Quercus hirtifolia at Tregrehan, UK in September 2015 showing the pubescent leaf underside. Image © Jan De Langhe - Ghent UBG.

Conic buds with apical pubescent scales on Quercus hirtifolia (Botanic Treasures, Belgium - 15 December 2024). Image © Jan De Langhe.

Quercus hirtifolia lamina lower surface with dense pubescence and undulate margin (Botanic Treasures, Belgium - 15 December 2024). Image © Jan De Langhe.

Quercus hirtifolia lamina upper surface pubescence and bristle tipped teeth (Botanic Treasures, Belgium - 15 December 2024). Image © Jan De Langhe.

Quercus hirtifolia M.L.Vázquez, S.Valencia & Nixon

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