A vigorous deciduous shrub up to 8 ft high, suckering freely, and spreading by underground stems; bark of young shoots dark purplish red, glabrous. Leaves ovate, oval or oval-lanceolate, with long, tapered points; 2 to 5 in. long, 1 to 21⁄2 in. wide; upper surface dark green, lower one glaucous, both with flattened hairs; veins in about five pairs; stalk 1⁄2 to 1 in. long. Flowers dull white, small, in cymes 1 to 2 in. across. Fruit white, globose, 1⁄5 in. across.
Native of N. America, reaching across the continent. It is closely allied to the Eurosiberian species C. alba and by some authors regarded as a subspecies of it. It differs in its stoloniferous habit, more abruptly pointed leaves, and in the stones of the fruits, which are as broad as high, and rounded at the base.
cv. ‘Flaviramea’. – Bark of young shoots greenish yellow, and effective in winter, especially if associated with C. alba ‘Sibirica’. Sent out by Späth in 1899.