Large tree with a round, later flat-topped spherical crown to approx. 12 m. Thick year-old branches are reddish brown. The firm extended branches form an arched crown. Older branches are hollow. The leaf is oval with a pointed tip. On the top it is hairless, the underside is covered with star-shaped hair that feels like felt. Just before the leaf emerges, flowers appear in large terminal, branched panicles. The trumpet-shaped flowers are around 7 cm long and light violet to violet. P. elongata resembles P. tomentosa but its leaves are slightly longer narrower and their tips more tapered. The flowers of P. elongata are fractionally bigger and slightly darker. The tree is sensitive to wind and so requires a sheltered site. In Central China, P. elongata is a valuable timber resource. In Henan province they are grown in large scale for lumber production.