Distribution: Widely distributed throughout the mountainous areas of Washington; Alaska south to California, east across the northern half of North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Moist areas, low to high elevations.

Flowers: May-July

Origin: Native

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Monoecious, deciduous shrubs mostly 2-4 m. tall, the bark reddish-brown, becoming grayish-black, the young growth glabrous but with sessile glands.

Leaves alternate, simple, the blades narrowly to broadly ovate, 3-10 cm. long, the base rounded, the tip pointed, the margins wavy and once or twice finely denticulate, the blades only slightly paler beneath, glabrous except for the main veins, the petioles glabrous.

Catkins developing on growth of the current season; staminate catkins pendulous, up to 10 cm. long; pistillate catkins cone-like, 3-6 per branch, ovoid-ellipsoid, 1.5 cm. long and half as thick, on slender peduncles up to 3 times as long as the catkin.

Nutlet with thin, membranous wings half as broad as the nutlet.