Evergreen tree, in the Mango family, up to 15 m tall, single-stemmed, with a dark rounded crown. It tolerates slight frost and is very drought-resistant. Occasional bright red leaves make this an attractive garden specimen.

Bark is dark brown, smooth to rough. The Mango family does not have milky latex such as Moraceae (Fig family) or Sapotaceae (Milkwood family). Members of the Mango family have resin ducts (sticky latex but not milky).

Leaves are simple, opposite to subopposite, or spirally arranged, dark green above and paler below, narrowly elliptic, up to 150 mm long and 40 mm wide, with prominent closely parallel lateral veins. Flowers are greenish white to yellow; sexes are separate on different trees. Flowers from August to October.

Fruit is a single fleshy, oblique-ovoid drupe (a fruit like a plum) ± 12 mm in diameter, and turns purple when ripe.