Melanosporum Tuber Truffle Downy Oak –
Quercus pubescens Truffle (latin)
Adult Dimensions: Height up to 20 m (65,6'), width up to 15 m (49,2').
Foliage: Deciduous.
Soil Type: All except wet soil.
Hardiness: hardy to -20°C.
Exposure: Full sun.
Growth of truffles:
The white oak is a superb truffle tree. It is important to plant it in a very chalky (alkaline, pH greater than 7.5) soil which is well drained to avoid any excessive moisture. It is suited to dry regions where there is little rainfall. It is vital that your plants establish good roots if the truffles are going to properly develop; therefore meticulous soil preparation is essential before planting.
See Planting truffle trees.
The planting density for tuber melanosporum varies between 250 and 400 plants per hectare.
Regular maintenance and careful watering are equally important if you want to succeed.
See Everything you need to know about the truffle and how to grow it.
It will take between 8 and 10 year for the first harvest of truffles.
Even if it takes longer to start producing truffles than the holm oak, it will actually have a longer productive life. Some white truffle oaks are over a hundred years old!
Throughout the world there are several different types of truffle, however in France only 2 are regularly planted: Tuber melanosporum and Tuber uncinatum. See The different types of Truffles.
Uncinatum tuber / Bourgogne Truffle: The Bourgogne truffle is appreciated for its strong flavour and incomparable de sous-bois, it is also for its nut like flavour that it has such a reputation for quality. It is harvested in September.
Melanosporum tuber / Perigord Truffle: The famous black truffle of Périgord is loved for its very strong unique flavour. It has a worldwide reputation. It is harvested from December to the end of March.
Which one to plant, Melanosporum tuber or Uncinatum tuber ?
Apart from the different flavour of each variety, generally plants with the uncinatum tuber are planted in regions where the winters can be severe. As the Bourgogne truffle reaches maturity earlier than son homologue, it can be harvested before hard frosts. The Périgord truffle is planted mainly in the west and south of France.
Other Truffle plants:
Melanosporum tuber Truffle Hazel (Corylus avellana Truffier Melanosporum tuber), deciduous foliage, moist soil, hardy to -28°C
Uncinatum tuber Truffle Hazel (Corylus avellana Truffier Uncinatum tuber), deciduous foliage, moist soil, hardy to -28°C
Uncinatum tuber Truffle Downy Oak (Quercus pubescens Truffier Uncinatum tuber), deciduous foliage, hardy to -20°C
Truffle Downy Oak (Quercus ilex Truffier), evergreen foliage, to be avoided in areas with winter temperatures regularly below -15°C
List of Oaks:
Black Oak (Quercus velutina or Quercus tinctoria), black bark near surface
Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
Chinese Cork Oak (Quercus variabilis or Quercus bungeana), marcescent foliage, dark green with silvery underside, golden in autumn
Cork Oak (Quercus suber), evergreen foliage, dislikes chalky soil and harsh winters
Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia), bushy tree, evergreen foliage, dislikes chalky soil
Cypress oak (Quercus robur 'Fastigiata'), superb erect shape, to be planted on its own or aligned
Downy Oak or pubescent Oak (Quercus pubescens), grey leaves, good quality heating wood
Garry oak or Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana)
Holm Oak or Holly Oak (Quercus ilex), prickly leaves that look like holly leaves, evergreen foliage
Hungarian Oak or Italian Oak (Quercus frainetto or Quercus farnetto), pretty dark green foliage with green grey underside, dislikes chalky soil
Japanese blue oak (Quercus glauca)
Nuttall oak (Quercus nuttallii)
Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur or Quercus pedonculata), rapid growth, dislikes summer droughts
Pin Oak or Swamp Spanish Oak (Quercus palustris), shiny green foliage, bright red in autumn, dislikes chalky soil
Portuguese Oak (Quercus faginea)
Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica)
Red Oak or Northern Red Oak or Champion Oak (Quercus rubra or Quercus borealis), large dark green leaves, rapid growth, dislikes chalky soil and too much humidity
Sawtooth Oak (Quercus acutissima)
Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea), shiny green foliage, turning bright red in autumn, dislikes chalky soil
Serrata oak (Quercus serrata)
Sessile Oak or Durmast Oak (Quercus petraea or Quercus sessiliflora)
Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria)
Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii), bright red foliage in autumn
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor or quercus platanoides), shiny dark green leaves with grey downy undersides, turning browny red with pink underside in autumn
Truffle Holm Oak (Quercus ilex Truffle), produces truffles when all the right conditions are met
Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris), dark green foliage resistant to powdery mildew, the acorn is surrounded by what looks like hairy tightly packed scales
Ubame Oak (Quercus phillyreoïdes), likes chalky soil, shiny dark green leaves
Willow oak (Quercus myrsineafolia or Quercus phellos), long and fine leaves, dislikes chalky soil
Woolly-leaved Oak (Quercus lanata), twisted trunk, likes acidic soil
See the Oaks catalogue
