Quercus pinnativenulosa - Trees and Shrubs Online

New growth on Quercus pinnativenulosa (Yorkshire Arboretum, UK, 8 May 2025). Image John Grimshaw.

Tree to 20 m tall and 50 cm dbh, young shoots glabrous. Leaves somewhat leathery, elliptic to oblanceolate, to 13 × 3.5 cm, apex pointed to tapered, based tapered to rounded, margin often undulate, entire or occasionally, especially on young plants, with a few teeth towards the apex, veins usually 13–18 on each side of the midrib. They are usually an attractive bronze-red when they open becoming glossy green and glabrous on both sides. Petiole up to 15 mm long. Fruits borne singly or in pairs on a short peduncle of less than 1 cm. Cupules top-shaped, to 7 × 10 mm, acorns ovoid, 15–20 × 9 mm, about ⅓ enclosed in the cup and ripening the second year. (Valencia Ávalos & Cartujano Pliego 2002).

Distribution Mexico Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretero, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Veracruz

Habitat Pine/oak forest, oak forest and cloud forest at 800–1600 m with other oaks, Liquidambar, Carpinus, and Ostrya.

Conservation status Near threatened (NT)

While not common in cultivation Quercus pinnativenulosa has made an attractive tree where it is grown with brightly coloured young foliage similar to that of Q. delgadoana. The easiest way to distinguish these two species is the presence of teeth on leaves of Q. pinnativenulosa, especially obvious on young plants, while they are lacking in Q. delgadoana. Introduced by Allen Coombes from near Naolinco, Veracruz in 2005 (CMBS 1071) and from the same location to Iturraran Botanic Garden in 2009 by Francisco Garin. It was also collected by Allen Coombes in Hidalgo in 2008 (CMBS 1171).

Notable specimens in the UK are: the Yorkshire Arboretum, North Yorkshire, probably CMBS 1171, planted 2014, 5 m × 27 cm in 2025, Wynkcoombe Arboretum, West Sussex, 8 m × 14 cm and 4.25 m × 5 cm in 2020, both CMBS 1071; Thenford House, Northamptonshire, 3 m in 2019, CMBS 1171 (Tree Register 2025). At Penrice Castle, Wales, it was 3 m tall in 2021, CMBS 1171 (T. Methuen-Campbell, pers. comm.). Small trees of CMBS 1071 are at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire. The leader of the Yorkshire Arboretum tree was damaged by vandalism at a young age (whether by human or animal agency remains uncertain), causing multiple branches to develop and resulting in a bushy tree much wider than tall. In addition, it has been very seriously damaged by bark removal by Grey Squirrels (J. Grimshaw pers. comm. 2026).

It is also found in several collections in France. At Arboretum des Pouyouleix, CMBS 1171 was 4 m × 6 cm in 2021 (B. Chassé, pers. comm.), while at Arboretum de la Bergerette this collection was about 9 m tall in 2019 (pers. obs.) and survived –13°C soon after planting (S. Haddock, pers. comm. 2021). At Arboretum du Passadou, it was about 10 m tall in 2024 (Chassé & Haddock 2025), and at Arboretum Chocha it was about 7 m tall in 2019 (pers. obs.) At Iturraran Botanic Garden, Spain, a tree grown from seed collected by Francisco Garin in Veracruz in 2009 was 10 m tall in 2024 (Chassé & Haddock 2025). A plant from this collection was sent to Arboretum des Pouyouleix, where it was 6 m tall in 2024.

New growth on Quercus pinnativenulosa (Yorkshire Arboretum, UK, 8 May 2025). Image John Grimshaw.

Male catkins of Quercus pinnativenulosa (Yorkshire Arboretum, UK, 3 May 2025). Image John Grimshaw.

Foliage of Quercus pinnativenulosa from CMBS 1071 showing the leaf undersides. Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK. June 2023. Image Allen Coombes.

A fine Quercus pinnativenulosa at Arboretum de la Bergerette, France in September 2021. Image Shaun Haddock.

A young Quercus pinnativenulosa at Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain, in December 2018. Image Francisco Garin.

Bronze young foliage on Quercus pinnativenulosa at Iturraran Botanical Garden, Spain, in March 2021. Image Francisco Garin.

The leaves of Quercus pinnativenulosa are often toothed. Thenford, Northamptonshire, UK. September 2021. Image Maricela Rodríguez.

Bronze young foliage on Quercus pinnativenulosa at Thenford, Northamptonshire, UK. September 2021. Image Maricela Rodríguez.

The leaves on Quercus pinnativenulosa at Wynkcoombe Arboretum, West Sussex, UK, seen in August 2021, are conspicuously undulate. Image Maricela Rodríguez.

Attractive coppery young foliage on Quercus pinnativenulosa at Wynkcoombe Arboretum, West Sussex, UK in August 2021. Image Maricela Rodríguez.

Quercus pinnativenulosa at Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France, August 2021. Image Béatrice Chassé.

New growth on Quercus pinnativenulosa at Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France, August 2021. Image Béatrice Chassé.

New leaves unfurling on Quercus pinnativenulosa at Arboretum des Pouyouleix, France, August 2021. Image Béatrice Chassé.

Flowers on a Quercus pinnativenulosa grown from seed collected in Veracruz in 2007, at the Puebla University Botanic Garden, Mexico, June 2025. Image Allen Coombes.

Lamina lower surface with fine leaf reticulation on Quercus pinnativenulosa (Iturraran Botanic Garden, Spain – 27 September 2014). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Entire lamina margin on Quercus pinnativenulosa (Iturraran Botanic Garden, Spain – 27 September 2014). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Slender branchlet and initial pubescence on Quercus pinnativenulosa (Iturraran Botanic Garden, Spain – 27 September 2014). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Foliage on Quercus pinnativenulosa at Iturraran Botanic Garden, Spain (27 September 2014). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Foliage on Quercus pinnativenulosa CMBS 1071, with often dentate and undulate lamina margin. This is taken from accession 2005.1045 at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK (5 April 2011). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Quercus pinnativenulosa C.H.Mull.

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