An erect, much-branched, deciduous shrub 1 to 3 ft high, its twigs angled, slightly downy, becoming glossy; slender, but not so slender as in A. colchica. Leaves obovate or oval, 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 in. long, 1⁄3 to 1⁄2 in. wide, tapered or rounded at the base, bluntish or rounded at the apex, entire; quite glabrous or sparingly downy beneath, glossy green above; stalk 1⁄16 in. long. Flowers 1⁄4 in. across, yellowish green, produced in summer and autumn. Fruits nearly globose.
Native of the S. Central United States. It is easily distinguished from the Caucasian species by its stouter, downy, angled branchlets, and its partially downy, shorter-stalked leaves, often broadest above the middle.