A small deciduous tree to 4 m tall. Leaves narrowly elliptic, to 10 cm long, acuminate, serrulate, teeth with acute tips. Flowers appearing before the leaves, 1-2 per bud and 2-3 buds per node, single, opening white and pale pink, about 2 cm wide, pedicels 1-1.5 cm. Fruit small, with dark red skin and flesh.a floriferous small tree, often with long branches covered with flowers.

Probably a hybrid between a P. cerasifera cultivar and a P. salicina hybrid.

P. 'Elvins' was a seedling discovered in the Hawthorn garden of Miss Myrtle Elvins by Mr Reginald Sparks of Sparks and McAlpine Nsy in Box Hill, Vic. In 1955, Mr Alex Jessep, then Director of the Royal Bot. Gds, Melbourne, sent a specimen of P. 'Elvins' to the Arnold Arboretum in the USA for clarification of its identity. Dr Donald Wyman noted the specimen's affinity with P. salicina, but suggested it was probably a hybrid. Dr Jim Willis proposed in 1964 that P. cerasifera was the other parent. The original plant exists no longer, as Miss Elvin's garden has become part of the Hawthorn Football ground.

VIC: E Melbourne (MCC Bowling Club); Malvern (cnr High St and Erica Ave); Melbourne (Royal Bot. Gds, new glasshouse, W of kiosk, also near Eel Bridge). NSW: Albury (Bot. Gds).