[2] It can be found in southern Canada and the United States—from western British Columbia to Quebec, Idaho, Montana and Arizona to eastern Kentucky.

The leaves are lanceolate, 3–13 centimetres (1+1⁄4–5 in) long and 1–4 cm (1⁄2–1+1⁄2 in) wide, yellowish green with a pale, whitish underside and a finely serrated margin.

The flowers are yellow catkins, 3–8 cm (1+1⁄4–3+1⁄4 in) long, produced in the spring with the leaves.

The reddish-yellow fruit matures in late spring or early summer, and the individual capsules are 4–6 millimetres (3⁄16–1⁄4 in) long.

As the common and scientific names suggest, the leaves bear some similarity to those of a peach and (even more so) of an almond.