Small, upright deciduous tree (H 4-6 m, W 2-3 m). Crown ovate, irregular, open. Branches upright to open, spiraly twisted. Bark on young shoots smooth, bright red to orange-red, later brown-grey. Leaves lanceolate (4-12 cm), smooth, glossy, bright green, lighter beneath. Flowers in clusters, catkins (3-5 cm), yellow. Flowering period: March-April. Seeds numerous, very tiny, with grey-white hairs. Ripening time: April-May. A tough species, it prefers moist soils, withstands occasional flooding.
These plants grow well in sun or in partial shade. Usually they tolerate more sun and heat if given enough moisture; in partial or light shade they need less moisture.
Decidious have woody stems (i. e. tree trunk and branches) and are also called woody plants or trees. Leaves are normally broad, soft and thin.
The plant develops new leaves or needles every spring, which dropp off in autumn. Herbaceous plants can die completely in above ground section and grow back in the spring.
Plant can in otherwise appropriate environment survive cold down to - 23 °C.
Moist soil usually contain morefine clay parts and less sand, more humus and organic materials, they are somewhat heavier, but not hard; water does not run away quickly but stays among soil particles and is long available to plants. There is no stagnant water, soil is airy enough. Drought occurs rarely on such positions. Plants are given more or less permanent, moderate moisture.
Woody plant, normally with a remarkable tree trunk and a tree top. May have several stems - multistemmed tree. The tree top may be of different shapes, dense or thin, symetric or uneven. Most trees reach a height of more than 3 metres.