 The leaves are oval, long and broad, oblique at the base, acute or rounded at the apex, with a wavy-toothed or shallowly lobed margin, and a short petiole 6–10 mm long; they are dark green and thinly hairy above, and grey beneath with dense grey hairs.The Latin term means "soft", and refers to the felted leaves, which turn yellow in autumn.The flowers are yellow, often with a red base, with four ribbon-shaped petals long and four short stamens, and grow in clusters; flowering is in late winter to early spring on the bare branches.