[1] It is a medium-sized tree, up to 20 metres (66 ft) in height[2] and 40 centimetres (16 in) in trunk diameter.

[3] The formosan alder is a trees up to 20 meters in height with dark gray-brown bark.

The petiole is 1.2-2.2 cm, slender; leaves elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, rarely ovate-oblong, 6-12 × 2–5 cm, hairy in the axils of lateral veins beneath, almost hairless above, rounded or broadly cuneate base, irregularly minutely serrated margin, acuminate or acute apex; lateral veins 6 or 7 on each side of the midrib.

It is a common species growing on riverbanks from near sea level to 2,900 metres (9,500 ft).

The tree trunks is also used in paper pulping and cultivating snow fungus and shiitake.