Flowers are small with unisexual and bisexual flowers on the same plant. Fruit is a round samara. Ptelea Species Leaflets are trifoliate. Buds are often hidden by the leaf base and are silvery and silky. Leaf scars are horseshoe-shaped.
Branches are reddish-brown in the second year.
Flowers are greenish-white, unpleasantly scented, and bloom in June. Fruit matures in September or October. This is a small tree or a large shrub depending upon where the plant grows. Wafer-ash is found scattered over the state. The bark and leaves are bitter, strongly scented, and posses tonic qualities.