Description
Medium-sized, upright deciduous tree, eventually a large, bushy shrub (H 8-12 m, W 6-8 m). Crown rounded, broad, open, irregular. Bark on young shoots smooth, red, red-violet to yellow-brown, with a slight white-blue bloom, later grey, with longitudinal cracks. Leaves lanceolate to elongate ovate (4-12 cm), smooth, glossy, dark green, lighter underneath, blue-green. Flowers in clusters, catkins (3-5 cm), yellow. Flowering period: March. Seeds numerous, very tiny, with grey-white hairs. Ripening time: April-May. A tough species, it prefers moist soils, withstands occasional flooding.