An erect shrub 3′ – 12′ (1 – 4 m) tall that possesses rusty hairs on its buds and young growth. The hairs are not sticky. The 7 to 9 leaflets are rounded at the tip and toothed on the margin only above the midpoint (a key difference from S. scopulina which has pointed leaflets toothed along the entire margin). Up to 80 flowers form a round-topped cluster. The berries turn bright red , are edible, but are very tart. The Park’s most common mountain-ash found in open moist areas in the upper forest zone and the subalpine.