Sapling, growing in full sun in sandy soil, apx 8 feet tall. The leaves are simple, alternate glossy-green, triangular and coarsely-toothed. The stem is woody and smooth. Each branch is also woody and smooth, but bumpy, covered in lenticels. There is one node per leaf on the stems. There are three or more scales on the leaf buds, and they overlap like shingles, with one edge covered and the other edge exposed.