Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to northern California.

Habitat: Moist woods from sea level to mid-elevations in the mountains.

Flowers: March-June

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bumblebees, wasps, wind

Shrub or small tree 1-8 m. tall, sometimes forming dense thickets; stems mostly glabrous, purplish-red, becoming brown with age.

Leaves opposite, nearly rotund, cordate-based, palmately 7- to 9-lobed, serrate, 3-6 cm. long and broad, with soft hairs on the lower surface and hairy veins above.

Flowers few, perfect or imperfect, 6-9 mm. broad, terminal on short, lateral shoots; sepals 4-5, purplish; petals 4-5, white, distinct, shorter than the sepals; stamens 8, inserted on the inner edge of a fleshy disk, those of the staminate flowers longer than the sepals, those of the perfect flowers much shorter; styles and stigmas 2; ovary superior, 2-celled.

Samara, the wings widely spreading.