A small, tolerant, bottomland tree found throughout the eastern U.S. except northern states and southern coastal regions that is commonly used as an ornamental. Conspicuous pink flowers appear before the leaves. Leaves are alternate, simple, deciduous, broadly heart-shaped, and entire, with palmate veins. Twigs are slender and globose, with small buds having imbricate, red-brown scales. Fruit is a red-brown legume, about 3" long. Bark is gray and smooth, becoming scaly.