The species gets its name from the brown or black bark on the trunk and main branches. The leaves are roughly oval with a tapered pointed tip and a slight heart-shaped indentation at the petiole. The margins are sharply double-toothed. The broken twigs have a spicy odor. The tree can reach a height of 80 feet and have a diameter up to five feet. It produces catkin flowers in April and May and small dry fruit from August to October. The autumn coloration of this species is a uniform yellow.