Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, triangular (deltoid)in shape with a crenate/serrate margin. The petiole is flattened and glandsare present at the top of the petiole.
Flower
Dioecious, male and female as pendulous catkins, appearing before the leaves.
Fruit
Cottony seeds, 1/4 inch long borne in a dehiscent capsule. Maturing over summer.
Twig
Stout, somewhat angled, and yellowish. Buds are 3/4 inch long, covered with several brown, resinous scales. Has a bitter aspirin taste.
Bark
Smooth, gray to yellow-green when young. Later turning gray with thickridges and deep furrows.
Form
A large tree with a clear bole and an open spreading crown resulting in a somewhat vase-shaped form.
Bark
Copyright 2019 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information
