This is a glabrous, sparsely branched tree, reaching up to 12O feet tall. The leaves are alternate or in clusters and fan shaped with parallel veins on long slender petioles. Flowers are catkin-like. The yellowish fruit is drupe-like, about I inch long, with ill-smelling pulp surrounding the thin shelled, creamy-white nut which contains an edible sweet kernel. It is native of east China and now cultivated throughout the U.S. as a street or ornamental tree.

The kernel (seeds),gathered in the fall are edible. Remove toxic flesh from the seeds and cook. It is a antibiotic, pulmonary, and vesicant. The leaves and seeds have vascular integrity and used in Chinese medicine for lung problems. An extract, from the yellow, fall leaves are known to help strengthens blood vessels, reduce production of tissue-damaging free radicals which reduce clump-forming blood platelets. It is said to improve brain efficiency, and cellular energy. Use with medical supervision.