Deciduous (rarely evergreen) shrub or little tree up to 3 m tall. Branches are dichotomous. The bark is lengthwise ridged, not stripping. Leaves are simple. Lamina is leathery-like, widely elliptic with regular dentate or serrate margin. The front leaf is wrinkled, dark green, sparsely hairy or hairless. The underside is light green with visible veins, hairy. The flowers are in cymes, all the flowers are the same, fragrant, yellowish-white.Flowering in April and May. The fruit are shiny black drupes, ellipsoid shaped. They contain 1 flat, ridge stone. Shoots: Shoots are strong with gray hairs (after wiping away hairs isr yellowish-brown), later hairless. The core is white. Natural range: Europe (between 40°C - 50° N, southern only isolated locations), north-west Africa, western Asia (the Caucasus); in our area domestic.