Shrub or medium-sized deciduous tree to 15 m tall. Leaves 6-18 cm long, opposite, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate. Flowers 4-5 cm across, bright pink-purple fading to white with age, in branched terminal pyramidal clusters. Fruits 1.5-2.5 cm long, elliptic-oblong on persistent bell-shaped calyx cup.