Flowers:
Yellow (Fragrant pale yellow 7-10 flowered (2-3" wide) cymes that appears in June with a distinguishing 1.5-2.5" long bract; attract bees)
Foliage:
Green (Lustrous, shimmering dark green on upper surface, with silvery tomentose beneath; summer); Yellow (Occasionally a nice yellow fall foliage color)
Fruit:
White (Nutlet with bract)
Soil:
Widely adapted to soils, even alkaline soils
Diagnostic Characteristics:
Finely serrated leaves are alternate, simple, 1.5-3" long, cordate base, sharply (rather than finely) serrate. Buds are greenish-red to brown, 0.25" long and glossy. Fruit is small egg-shaped nutlet, 5-7 nutlets per 1.5-2.5" long bract. Pubescent stems. Bark is smooth gray-brown, more ridged on older trunks.
