Strikingly decorative, medium-size tree with a flat-topped spherical crown. The hairless, thin, overhanging twigs are purple. The first year twigs are fairly long, giving the tree a willow-like appearance. The older bark is smooth and grey. The fairly long, narrow leaves are conspicuously deeply veined. On emerging, they are red to purplish red, turning in summer to shiny dark green. No remarkable autumn colours. Root growth is relatively close to the surface. Has few soil requirements but flourishes best in loamy soils and cannot tolerate drought. The rotted leaves are good soil improvers.