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Downy oak

Quercus pubescens · Fagaceae · all Quercus records

Your local evidence lens

Separate evidence questions, never one approval badge

Set a ZIP to compare this record with state distribution, native range, USDA hardiness, and invasive records.

A genus split is not a placement verdict. Set a ZIP to read the local documented split.

1. Fire evidence and conditions

Fire evidence: Mixed evidence — location does not change the cited classification.
Fire-performance conditions: No test or rating condition is normalized.
Fire ecology context: No section-reviewed fire-ecology context is normalized.
Placement evidence: 1 source placement record; source schemes remain separate.
Evidence regions: Catalonia, Spain; Global; Mediterranean France / Provence
Maintenance: No sourced horticultural maintenance assertion is normalized; fire-test conditions do not supply maintenance advice.

2. Why this plant is relevant here

State distribution: No state distribution is normalized.
Native range: No current cited or legacy state native range is normalized.
Introduced / established: No introduced or established row is normalized; that does not prove native status.
USDA hardiness: No hardiness value is normalized.

3. Legal, ecological, and broader status

Legal-list status: Set a location for an exact legal-list result; source silence is not clearance.
Seed-list status: Set a location to compare the separate state noxious-weed seed layer.
Reported invasive here: No ecological invasive report is normalized; that does not prove noninvasiveness.
Broader regional context: Aggregate AK, HI, and L48 evidence is shown only as regional context, never as an exact-state finding.
Federal context: Federal designations remain separate from state legal-list results.

How to read this page

The status above is computed from the cited rows below: independent recommendations can support a fire-resistant result, an avoid row can produce keep-away, and disagreement stays visible as conflict. Placement notes preserve each source’s own scheme rather than translating unlike rules into one scale. This is evidence about a plant, not permission to plant it in every part of the defensible space; Zone 0 remains noncombustible.

Downy oak (Quercus pubescens) — Photo: (c) Gianni Del Bufalo bygdb, some rights reserved (CC BY) (CC BY), via iNaturalist. Species-typical, not necessarily this cultivar.

Form: tree
Region: France; Italy; Mediterranean France; Spain
Rated in: Catalonia, Spain; Global; Mediterranean France / Provence
Family: Fagaceae
Evidence: 33 cited sources

Where its sources say to plant it

Placement rules below use each source's own distances or named zones, tied to its rating. They are not interchangeable with the directory's current Zone 0 guidance.

Guía de pirojardinería: suitable inside or outside the 25-metre maximum-risk zone [girona-2020-iuf-25m-suitability] (with its recommendation)

The evidence

Grouped by what each source concluded. Primary evidence rated the plant itself (a lab, field program, or original curation); corroboration compiled or republished another source's rating and resolves to its root lineage.

Avoids (1)

Inflammabilités des espèces forestières méditerranéennes (Valette 1990) — INRA Station de Sylviculture méditerranéenne, Avignon (Revue Forestière Française XLII) · 1990 · original source Primary evidence Lab-tested lineage: inra-tree

“INRA inflammability note 5 of 5 (July-September maximum)” · score 5 (inra-0-5)

Monthly inflammability notes May-April: 0, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 (epiradiator tests, INRA Avignon).

Source wording: “extrêmement inflammable”

Listed without a rating (31)

FLAMITS: FLAMmability plant traiTS database — Dryad / Global Ecology and Biogeography · Dryad version 9 · original source Corroboration Trait database lineage: meta-aggregator

31 cited rows from this source; its identity, lineage and tier are stated once.
- “temperature at flaming (°C): 594.56” · score 594.56 (FLAMITS — temperature at flaming (°C))
  
  FLAMITS record 2384; Ignitability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site DeLillis2009-1; sampling june to september. Primary study DeLillis2009: De Lillis, M., Bianco, P. M., & Loreto, F. (2009). The influence of leaf water content and isoprenoids on flammability of some Mediterranean woody species. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 18, 203-212.
- “temperature at flaming (°C): 524.76” · score 524.76 (FLAMITS — temperature at flaming (°C))
  
  FLAMITS record 2385; Ignitability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site DeLillis2009-1; sampling june to september. Primary study DeLillis2009: De Lillis, M., Bianco, P. M., & Loreto, F. (2009). The influence of leaf water content and isoprenoids on flammability of some Mediterranean woody species. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 18, 203-212.
- “temperature at flaming (°C): 459.46” · score 459.46 (FLAMITS — temperature at flaming (°C))
  
  FLAMITS record 2386; Ignitability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site DeLillis2009-1; sampling june to september. Primary study DeLillis2009: De Lillis, M., Bianco, P. M., & Loreto, F. (2009). The influence of leaf water content and isoprenoids on flammability of some Mediterranean woody species. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 18, 203-212.
- “temperature at flaming (°C): 469.16” · score 469.16 (FLAMITS — temperature at flaming (°C))
  
  FLAMITS record 2387; Ignitability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site DeLillis2009-1; sampling june to september. Primary study DeLillis2009: De Lillis, M., Bianco, P. M., & Loreto, F. (2009). The influence of leaf water content and isoprenoids on flammability of some Mediterranean woody species. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 18, 203-212.
- “temperature at smoke (°C): 112.27” · score 112.27 (FLAMITS — temperature at smoke (°C))
  
  FLAMITS record 2405; Ignitability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site DeLillis2009-1; sampling june to september. Primary study DeLillis2009: De Lillis, M., Bianco, P. M., & Loreto, F. (2009). The influence of leaf water content and isoprenoids on flammability of some Mediterranean woody species. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 18, 203-212.
- “temperature at smoke (°C): 110.43” · score 110.43 (FLAMITS — temperature at smoke (°C))
  
  FLAMITS record 2406; Ignitability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site DeLillis2009-1; sampling june to september. Primary study DeLillis2009: De Lillis, M., Bianco, P. M., & Loreto, F. (2009). The influence of leaf water content and isoprenoids on flammability of some Mediterranean woody species. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 18, 203-212.
- “temperature at smoke (°C): 111.04” · score 111.04 (FLAMITS — temperature at smoke (°C))
  
  FLAMITS record 2407; Ignitability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site DeLillis2009-1; sampling june to september. Primary study DeLillis2009: De Lillis, M., Bianco, P. M., & Loreto, F. (2009). The influence of leaf water content and isoprenoids on flammability of some Mediterranean woody species. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 18, 203-212.
- “temperature at smoke (°C): 105.2” · score 105.2 (FLAMITS — temperature at smoke (°C))
  
  FLAMITS record 2408; Ignitability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site DeLillis2009-1; sampling june to september. Primary study DeLillis2009: De Lillis, M., Bianco, P. M., & Loreto, F. (2009). The influence of leaf water content and isoprenoids on flammability of some Mediterranean woody species. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 18, 203-212.
- “time to flaming (s): 8.6” · score 8.6 (FLAMITS — time to flaming (s))
  
  FLAMITS record 4652; Ignitability measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying no; device burning bench; site Guijarro2002-1; sampling ND. Primary study Guijarro2002: Guijarro, M., Hernando, C., Díez, C., Martínez, E., Madrigal, J., Lampin-Cabaret, C., ... Vega, J. (2002). Flammability of some fuel beds common in the South-European ecosystems. IV International Conference Forest Fire Research. Coimbra, Portugal.
- “rate of burning spread (cm/s): 0.23” · score 0.23 (FLAMITS — rate of burning spread (cm/s))
  
  FLAMITS record 4665; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying no; device burning bench; site Guijarro2002-1; sampling ND. Primary study Guijarro2002: Guijarro, M., Hernando, C., Díez, C., Martínez, E., Madrigal, J., Lampin-Cabaret, C., ... Vega, J. (2002). Flammability of some fuel beds common in the South-European ecosystems. IV International Conference Forest Fire Research. Coimbra, Portugal.
- “ignition frequency (%): 33.5” · score 33.5 (FLAMITS — ignition frequency (%))
  
  FLAMITS record 4675; Ignitability measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying no; device burning bench; site Guijarro2002-1; sampling ND. Primary study Guijarro2002: Guijarro, M., Hernando, C., Díez, C., Martínez, E., Madrigal, J., Lampin-Cabaret, C., ... Vega, J. (2002). Flammability of some fuel beds common in the South-European ecosystems. IV International Conference Forest Fire Research. Coimbra, Portugal.
- “time to flaming (s): 8.6” · score 8.6 (FLAMITS — time to flaming (s))
  
  FLAMITS record 4683; Ignitability measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying no; device burning bench; site Guijarro2002-1; sampling ND. Primary study Guijarro2002: Guijarro, M., Hernando, C., Díez, C., Martínez, E., Madrigal, J., Lampin-Cabaret, C., ... Vega, J. (2002). Flammability of some fuel beds common in the South-European ecosystems. IV International Conference Forest Fire Research. Coimbra, Portugal.
- “rate of burning spread (cm/s): 0.23” · score 0.23 (FLAMITS — rate of burning spread (cm/s))
  
  FLAMITS record 4691; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying no; device burning bench; site Guijarro2002-1; sampling ND. Primary study Guijarro2002: Guijarro, M., Hernando, C., Díez, C., Martínez, E., Madrigal, J., Lampin-Cabaret, C., ... Vega, J. (2002). Flammability of some fuel beds common in the South-European ecosystems. IV International Conference Forest Fire Research. Coimbra, Portugal.
- “time to flaming (s): 8.32” · score 8.32 (FLAMITS — time to flaming (s))
  
  FLAMITS record 10509; Ignitability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site Petriccione2006-1; sampling may to june. Primary study Petriccione2006: Petriccione, M. (2006). Infiammabilità della lettiera di diverse specie vegetali di ambiente mediterráneo. Tesi Di Dottorato. Università Degli Studi Di Napoli Federico II.
- “burning duration (s): 9.22” · score 9.22 (FLAMITS — burning duration (s))
  
  FLAMITS record 10510; Sustainability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site Petriccione2006-1; sampling may to june. Primary study Petriccione2006: Petriccione, M. (2006). Infiammabilità della lettiera di diverse specie vegetali di ambiente mediterráneo. Tesi Di Dottorato. Università Degli Studi Di Napoli Federico II.
- “ignition frequency (%): 5” · score 5 (FLAMITS — ignition frequency (%))
  
  FLAMITS record 10511; Ignitability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site Petriccione2006-1; sampling may to june. Primary study Petriccione2006: Petriccione, M. (2006). Infiammabilità della lettiera di diverse specie vegetali di ambiente mediterráneo. Tesi Di Dottorato. Università Degli Studi Di Napoli Federico II.
- “flammability value: 5” · score 5 (FLAMITS — flammability value)
  
  FLAMITS record 10512; Ignitability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site Petriccione2006-1; sampling may to june. Primary study Petriccione2006: Petriccione, M. (2006). Infiammabilità della lettiera di diverse specie vegetali di ambiente mediterráneo. Tesi Di Dottorato. Università Degli Studi Di Napoli Federico II.
- “flammability value: 4” · score 4 (FLAMITS — flammability value)
  
  FLAMITS record 13351; Ignitability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site Valette1990-1; sampling june to september. Primary study Valette1990: Valette, J.-C. (1990). Flammabilities of Mediterranean forest species. Effects on the combustibility of the forest communities inflammabilités des espèces forestières méditerranéennes. Conséquences sur la combustibilité des formations forestières. Revue forestière française, 42, 76-92.
- “flammability value: 5” · score 5 (FLAMITS — flammability value)
  
  FLAMITS record 13352; Ignitability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying no; device epiradiator; site Valette1990-1; sampling june to september. Primary study Valette1990: Valette, J.-C. (1990). Flammabilities of Mediterranean forest species. Effects on the combustibility of the forest communities inflammabilités des espèces forestières méditerranéennes. Conséquences sur la combustibilité des formations forestières. Revue forestière française, 42, 76-92.
- “time to flaming (s): 8.71” · score 8.71 (FLAMITS — time to flaming (s))
  
  FLAMITS record 13367; Ignitability measurement; plant part twigs; fuel live; predrying yes; device epiradiator; site Valette1992-1; sampling may to november. Primary study Valette1992: Valette, J. C. (1992). Inflammabilities of Mediterranean species. In P. Balabanis, R. Eftichidir & R. Fantechi (Eds.), Forest fire risk and management: European school of climatology and natural hazard course. (pp. 51-64). Halkidiki, GR: General Directorate for Science, Research and Development of the European Commission.
- “time to flaming (s): 6.82” · score 6.82 (FLAMITS — time to flaming (s))
  
  FLAMITS record 13368; Ignitability measurement; plant part twigs; fuel live; predrying yes; device epiradiator; site Valette1992-1; sampling may to november. Primary study Valette1992: Valette, J. C. (1992). Inflammabilities of Mediterranean species. In P. Balabanis, R. Eftichidir & R. Fantechi (Eds.), Forest fire risk and management: European school of climatology and natural hazard course. (pp. 51-64). Halkidiki, GR: General Directorate for Science, Research and Development of the European Commission.
- “time to flaming (s): 5.76” · score 5.76 (FLAMITS — time to flaming (s))
  
  FLAMITS record 13369; Ignitability measurement; plant part twigs; fuel live; predrying yes; device epiradiator; site Valette1992-1; sampling may to november. Primary study Valette1992: Valette, J. C. (1992). Inflammabilities of Mediterranean species. In P. Balabanis, R. Eftichidir & R. Fantechi (Eds.), Forest fire risk and management: European school of climatology and natural hazard course. (pp. 51-64). Halkidiki, GR: General Directorate for Science, Research and Development of the European Commission.
- “time to flaming (s): 3.77” · score 3.77 (FLAMITS — time to flaming (s))
  
  FLAMITS record 13370; Ignitability measurement; plant part twigs; fuel live; predrying yes; device epiradiator; site Valette1992-1; sampling may to november. Primary study Valette1992: Valette, J. C. (1992). Inflammabilities of Mediterranean species. In P. Balabanis, R. Eftichidir & R. Fantechi (Eds.), Forest fire risk and management: European school of climatology and natural hazard course. (pp. 51-64). Halkidiki, GR: General Directorate for Science, Research and Development of the European Commission.
- “time to flaming (s): 2.5” · score 2.5 (FLAMITS — time to flaming (s))
  
  FLAMITS record 13371; Ignitability measurement; plant part twigs; fuel live; predrying yes; device epiradiator; site Valette1992-1; sampling may to november. Primary study Valette1992: Valette, J. C. (1992). Inflammabilities of Mediterranean species. In P. Balabanis, R. Eftichidir & R. Fantechi (Eds.), Forest fire risk and management: European school of climatology and natural hazard course. (pp. 51-64). Halkidiki, GR: General Directorate for Science, Research and Development of the European Commission.
- “time to flaming (s): 2.02” · score 2.02 (FLAMITS — time to flaming (s))
  
  FLAMITS record 13372; Ignitability measurement; plant part twigs; fuel live; predrying yes; device epiradiator; site Valette1992-1; sampling may to november. Primary study Valette1992: Valette, J. C. (1992). Inflammabilities of Mediterranean species. In P. Balabanis, R. Eftichidir & R. Fantechi (Eds.), Forest fire risk and management: European school of climatology and natural hazard course. (pp. 51-64). Halkidiki, GR: General Directorate for Science, Research and Development of the European Commission.
- “burning duration (s): 55.55” · score 55.55 (FLAMITS — burning duration (s))
  
  FLAMITS record 16452; Sustainability measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Pallozzi2018-1; sampling summer 2013. Primary study Pallozzi2018: Pallozzi, E., Lusini, I., Cherubini, L., Hajiaghayeva, R. A., Ciccioli, P., & Calfapietra, C. (2018). Differences between a deciduous and a conifer tree species in gaseous and particulate emissions from biomass burning. Environmental pollution, 234, 457-467.
- “burning duration (s): 476.72” · score 476.72 (FLAMITS — burning duration (s))
  
  FLAMITS record 16453; Sustainability measurement; plant part twigs; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Pallozzi2018-1; sampling summer 2013. Primary study Pallozzi2018: Pallozzi, E., Lusini, I., Cherubini, L., Hajiaghayeva, R. A., Ciccioli, P., & Calfapietra, C. (2018). Differences between a deciduous and a conifer tree species in gaseous and particulate emissions from biomass burning. Environmental pollution, 234, 457-467.
- “burning duration (s): 102.02” · score 102.02 (FLAMITS — burning duration (s))
  
  FLAMITS record 16454; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Pallozzi2018-1; sampling summer 2013. Primary study Pallozzi2018: Pallozzi, E., Lusini, I., Cherubini, L., Hajiaghayeva, R. A., Ciccioli, P., & Calfapietra, C. (2018). Differences between a deciduous and a conifer tree species in gaseous and particulate emissions from biomass burning. Environmental pollution, 234, 457-467.
- “maximum sample temperature (°C): 600.01” · score 600.01 (FLAMITS — maximum sample temperature (°C))
  
  FLAMITS record 16458; Combustibility measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Pallozzi2018-1; sampling summer 2013. Primary study Pallozzi2018: Pallozzi, E., Lusini, I., Cherubini, L., Hajiaghayeva, R. A., Ciccioli, P., & Calfapietra, C. (2018). Differences between a deciduous and a conifer tree species in gaseous and particulate emissions from biomass burning. Environmental pollution, 234, 457-467.
- “maximum sample temperature (°C): 814.99” · score 814.99 (FLAMITS — maximum sample temperature (°C))
  
  FLAMITS record 16459; Combustibility measurement; plant part twigs; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Pallozzi2018-1; sampling summer 2013. Primary study Pallozzi2018: Pallozzi, E., Lusini, I., Cherubini, L., Hajiaghayeva, R. A., Ciccioli, P., & Calfapietra, C. (2018). Differences between a deciduous and a conifer tree species in gaseous and particulate emissions from biomass burning. Environmental pollution, 234, 457-467.
- “maximum sample temperature (°C): 557.93” · score 557.93 (FLAMITS — maximum sample temperature (°C))
  
  FLAMITS record 16460; Combustibility measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Pallozzi2018-1; sampling summer 2013. Primary study Pallozzi2018: Pallozzi, E., Lusini, I., Cherubini, L., Hajiaghayeva, R. A., Ciccioli, P., & Calfapietra, C. (2018). Differences between a deciduous and a conifer tree species in gaseous and particulate emissions from biomass burning. Environmental pollution, 234, 457-467.

Fire-resistant trees instead

Post oak
Quercus stellata

Red oak
Quercus rubra

Gambel Oak
Quercus gambelii

Basswood
Tilia americana

Oak
Quercus spp.

Dahurian larch
Larix gmelinii

Fire-resistant trees listed above

Last verified 2026-08-23. JSON (CC BY 4.0)

Profiles: GBIF · iNaturalist · Wikidata ·

Quercus pubescens (Downy oak). FireApproved. https://fireapproved.com/plants/quercus-pubescens/. Last verified 2026-08-23.