In the open, the crown is symmetrical as an older tree but open and irregular as a younger plant. Its limbs are often crooked and angular. The crown is made of slender branches or short, bristly, stubby twigs. It makes an excellent shade tree because of its urban-tolerance. The small buds are adpressed against the stem.
Terminal buds are absent.
Pith is diaphragmed or intermittently chambered. The bark is grayish and generally rough with scalelike or warty projections of dead bark. In some instances, the bark is smooth enough on the limbs to resemble that of the beech. The leaves are simple, ovate, and borne in an alternate pattern. Leaves are prominently three-veined.