A deciduous shrub 4 to 8 ft high, of rather open, loose habit; shoots minutely downy. Leaves oval-lanceolate or obovate, pointed, 11⁄2 to 3 in. long, 1⁄3 to 7⁄8 in. wide; regularly, finely, and sharply toothed, tapering towards both ends, dark green and glabrous above, covered with a close white wool beneath. Flowers 1⁄4 in. across, borne singly from the buds of the previous year’s shoots; petals deep rosy red; calyx 1⁄4 in. long, tubular, with five short, rounded, downy lobes. Fruits glabrous, red, 1⁄3 in. across.
Native of the Caucasus and Asia Minor; introduced in 1815. Its flowers appear in April along with the young leaves, and it is then very pretty. Sometimes confused with P. tenella, it is easily distinguished from that and most other species by the close white felt on the undersurface of the willow-like leaves. The fruit is quite different from that of P. tenella, being cherry-like. It is allied to P. prostrata (q.v.).