The downy oak, Quercus pubescens, is one of four species of oak which grow on Skoplelos.  It can be recognised by its typically oak-shaped leaves which are white and downy on the underside, with prominent veins.It is a deciduous tree, which until the Bronze Age, was widely distributed in the broad leaved forest which covered much of Greece was destroyed during the early advance of civilisation, when trees were felled to provide building materials and fuel or burned to clear areas for developing agriculture. A few downy oaks occur in Greece as monumental trees. On Skopelos it is mostly found as isolated small trees, but a few tall specimens exist including one overshadowing a countryside chapel.