Trees or shrubs, deciduous, erect, 2-10 m tall, to 8 cm d.b.h., with grayish brown bark. Spines absent; young branches grayish green, densely stellate-scaly. Petiole 6-10 mm; leaf blade abaxially grayish green, adaxially dark green, ovate or ovate-elliptic, 6-9(-15) × 3-6(-11) cm, papery, abaxially densely grayish stellate-tomentose, adaxially sparsely stellate-hairy, lateral veins 6-10 per side of midrib, base obtuse or rounded, apex acute. Flowers often 1-3(-5) in leaf axils. Pedicel 3-4 mm. Flowers nodding, grayish green, fragrant, grayish white stellate-tomentose. Calyx tube campanulate, ca. 4 mm, abruptly constricted above ovary; lobes subtriangular or sublanceolate, 3.5-4 mm, inside sparsely white stellate-hairy, apex acuminate. Anthers ellipsoid, ca. 2 mm. Style erect, curved in upper part, lower part densely villous. Drupe globose-ovoid, or subglobose, ca. 1.3 cm, conspicuouly 8-ribbed, winged, densely villous. Fl. Apr-May, fr. Aug-Sep. 2n = 28*.

The winged fruit of Elaeagnus mollis is extremely distinctive. The species is very local and of some conservation concern.

● Valleys, shaded areas; 700-1300 m. Shaanxi (Huxian), S Shanxi.