Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Moist areas, low to fairly high elevations in the mountains

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Colonial tree, dioecious, up to 15 m. tall, with smooth, greenish-white bark that becomes blackish and somewhat rough on very old trunks; bud scales shiny, but not resinous.

Leaves alternate, relatively small, on slender, laterally-flattened petioles half to fully as long as the blade; blades rotund-ovate to reniform-cordate, 2.5-9 cm. long and 2.5-8 cm. wide, shortly acuminate, paler beneath, the margins finely toothed and hairy, the surfaces glabrous at maturity.

Catkins drooping; the bracts subtending the flowers in the catkins persistent, deeply cleft into a few slender lobes with long, white hairs on the margins; staminate catkins elongating to 2-3 cm. then deciduous; stamens 6-14; pistillate catkins at maturity 4-10 cm. long, with numerous fruits; stigmas 2, each deeply cleft into 2 or more slender lobes.

Capsules lanceolate, 4-6 mm. long, on pedicles 1-2 mm. long