Trees, 20–100(–150) dm. Stems 5–30 cm diam.; bark dark gray or gray-brown, scaly; young branches dark brown or reddish brown, densely tomentose, becoming glabrous; flowering shoots becoming spurs, 40–150 mm. Buds dark red or purple, ovoid, 3–4(–5) mm, scale margins densely puberulous. Leaves convolute in bud; isomorphic; stipules deciduous, lanceolate, 3–5 mm, apex acuminate; petiole 10–35 mm, tomentose to sparsely pubescent; blade elliptic, ovate, or broadly elliptic, (2–)5–10 × (1–)3–6.5 cm, base broadly cuneate or rounded, margins unlobed, obtusely serrate, sometimes serrate-crenate, apex acute, abaxial surface glabrescent, adaxial densely puberulent. Panicles umbel-like; peduncles absent; bracteoles deciduous, filiform, 5–7 mm. Pedicels 10–25 mm, puberulous. Flowers 30–40 mm diam.; hypanthium tomentose; sepals reflexed at flowering, triangular-lanceolate or triangular-ovate, 6–8 mm, equal to or longer than tube, apex acuminate, surfaces tomentose; petals (rose in bud) white, sometimes pink, obovate, 15–25 mm, claws 1 mm, margins entire, apex rounded; stamens 20, 9–10 mm, anthers yellow before dehiscence; styles 5, basally connate less than 1/2 length, 9–10 mm, slightly longer than stamens, basally gray-tomentose; stigmas green. Pomes green, yellow, or red, pure, striped, or blushed, globose or depressed-globose, 20–50(–70) mm diam., skin with bloom or wax, sometimes russetted or dotted, cores enclosed at apex; sepals persistent, erect; sclereids absent. Seeds light brown. 2n = 34 (51, 68).