Large shrub or medium-sized tree, profusely branched, usually less than 10 m high. Stem and older branches rough with greyish bark, young shoots hairy. Leaves deciduous, thin, elliptic or broadly elliptic to rotundate, blade 4-8 cm long, 3.5-5.5 cm broad, minutely hairy on veins beneath or glabrous, attenuate at the base, subacute, apiculate to mucronate at the apex; petiole 4-6 mm long, minutely hairy. Panicles terminal and axillary, 3-10 cm long, pilose. Flowers white, c. 8-10 mm across, fragrant; pedicel c. 5 mm long, pilose; bracts setaceous, c. 2-3 mm long, caducous. Sepals united into a turbinate, glabrous, c. 1.5 mm long tube; lobes c. 1.5 mm long, reniform with ciliate margins. Petals 5, white, basally slightly united, elliptic-oblong, 4-5 mm long, c. 2.5 mm broad, apex obtuse dentate. Stamens numerous, united at the base into 5 fascicles of 6-12 stamens each, epipetalous, filaments linear-lanceolate, variable in length, 2.5-5 mm long. Ovary bicarpellate, inferior, 2-loculed, each locule 2-3-ovuled; style c. 3.5 mm long. Fruit ovoid to globose, c. 6 mm long, bright blue, glabrous.

Fl.Per.: April-June.

Type: Described from Japan.

Distribution: Himalayas, 3-8000 ft., from North Eastern Pakistan eastwards to Sikkim, Bhutan, Tibet, Burma, E. China, Korea and Japan.

The hard, close grained, white wood is not much used due to splitting and twisting on seasoning but it has been recommended for bending or turning. A yellow dye is obtained from leaves and bark. The plant has been introduced in many countries as a hardy ornamental for beautiful fragrant flowers.