The simple, alternate, deciduous leaves are large (7 to 12 inches long) and covered with fine, rust-colored hairs when young, becoming hairless with age. Leaves have entire margins and are light green, becoming yellow-green or brilliant yellow in the fall. The leaf texture is thin and papery, and the leaves have an unpleasant odor when bruised.
The naked buds are composed of tiny leaves with numerous dense, reddish-brown hairs.
