A species of monoecious, deciduous shrub.

It blooms in very early[1] to mid spring,[6] producing hanging male (staminate) catkins 4 to 8 cm (1+1⁄2 to 3+1⁄4 in) long, and clusters of 2–5 tiny female (pistillate) flowers enclosed in the protective bracts of a bud, with their red styles sticking out at the tip. The male catkins develop in the fall and remain over the winter. Each male flower on a catkin has a pair of bracts and four stamens.