This is a multistemmed shrub or small tree with a rounded form. Fall foliage color is minimal. Fruit is cherry-like and drops in late summer. This rounded tree is dense and thorny. The white flowers in spring and glossy red fruits in autumn, persisting into winter are very showy.
Foliage is lustrous green in summer, turning orange to scarlet or purple in autumn.
Attractive white to gray bark is best appreciated against a dark background. Royal Star' blooms slightly later than the species and other cultivars. Dark green leaves turn yellow to bronze in autumn. Grows better in acidic soil. Very showy spring flowers are followed by colorful fall fruit.