• Shape: Multi-stemmed shrub
• Leaf/Branch Arrangement: Alternate
• Flower: elongated cluster – catkin, 3/8-2 ¼ inches long, male and female on different plants
• Leaves: pointed oval, 1-3 inches long, up to 1 ¼ inch wide, 2-3 times longer than wide, hairy, prominent veins
• Bark: thin, smooth, gray, becomes furrowed with age
• Fruit/Seed: cluster of elongated green/yellow capsules with and inflated base
• Height: 4-25 feet
• Flowering: May - June
• Habitat: swamps, shores, wetland edges, thickets, seeps, swales, wet meadows, wet ditches