Bark: Gray to tan, smooth.
Twigs: Rather stout, gray to tan, smooth; leaf scars opposite, triangular, with 3 groups of bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, reddish-brown, up to ½ inch long, not hairy, not sticky.
Leaves: Opposite, palmately compound, with 5 leaflets; leaflets elliptic to obovate, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 6 inches long, less than half as wide, toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and finely hairy on the lower surface.
Flowers: Numerous, red, in large clusters sometimes nearly 1 foot long, appearing in April.
Fruit: Spherical or punching-bag shaped, up to 2 inches across, light brown, not prickly, containing 1 or 2 light reddish-brown seeds.
Wood: Soft, close-grained, light in weight, pale brown.
Use: Sometimes grown as an ornamental because of its showy flowers.
Habitat: Rich woods.
Range: North Carolina across to Missouri, south to Texas, east to Georgia.