Twigs thin, light green to gray, pubescent becoming glabrous, pith chambered. Leaf buds small, conical.
Flower buds round.
Bark bitter, aromatic, gray, smooth or lightly fissured. 1-seeded, ripening in late Summer or Fall. Native to about the southeastern quarter of the U. S., mostly on the Coastal Plain. Understory of moist upland forests and well-drained lowland forests. Sweetleaf is sometimes planted as an ornamental.