General:
Deciduous shrub or tree, 1-5 m tall; pointed axillary buds without stalks; bark scaly, sometimes lichen-covered, yellowish-brown or grey.

Leaves:
Alternate, deciduous, smooth, finely toothed 1-2 times, oval with pointed tips, 4-10 cm long, brownish in the fall.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of male and female catkins which open at the same time as the leaves on current year's growth; male catkins unstalked.

Fruits:
Small nutlets, with broad wings; female cones 1.5-2 cm long, egg-shaped.

Notes:
Three subspecies occur in BC.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia