[3] Consistent with the hypothesis that C. persimilis is a relatively newly arisen hybrid species, there is quite a bit of variation in botanical characters between individuals.

New twigs and stems are glabrous, with one year old bark a brownish purple, older growth is dull gray.

The dark green leaf blades are more or less narrowly obovate to broadly elliptic or rhombic-elliptic, 4 to 5 cm long, with serrate margins.

In autumn the leaves take on a striking range of colors from deep yellow to a fiery orange to scarlet and on to purple.

It is affected by hawthorn sawfly leaf miners (Profenusa canadensis), but they seldom cause serious damage to healthy plants.