From a wide, spreading shrub C. canadensis grows into a nice, often multiple-stemmed solitary tree of average height. The bark is grey and shallowly grooved, when mature the bark can flake in small plates. The leaf is wide heart-shaped with a pointed or acuminate tip. The flowers appear before the leaf in compact clusters on the old twigs, branches and trunk. The flat pods persist all winter. It is a deep rooting tree with a coarse root system. Thrives best in a sheltered, sunny and fertile locations and is very hardy. The nice cultivar 'Forest Pansy' has a dark purple-red leaf.