Size: shrub, 10-15' average height and spread at maturity
Buds: several imbricate dark red-brown scales, bud and leaf scars almost black, laterals usually very small
Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 1.5-3" long, simple, oval to obovate, rounded at tip, margins entire, bluish green to purplish
Twigs: can be bright orange, brown or purplish, many small lenticels, deep purple around leaf scars
Flowers: diecious, small, sparsely produced, yellow, up to 8x8" showy panicles (smoky pink in cloudlike clusters, visible June-September
Fruit: dry kidney-shaped drupe, .25"
Bark: gray-brown
