Berchemia discolor is a medium to large, deciduous or evergreen tree, up to 20 m tall. Its stem is pale green, covered with brown lenticels, especially when young. The bark is dark grey and roughly fissured.

The leaves are opposite, simple, elliptic or sometimes elliptic-oblong, 50–140 × 25–60 mm, shiny dark green above, pale green below, hairless; midrib prominently raised below and ending at the margin. The flowers are borne in small clusters in the leaf axils and greenish yellow in colour. It flowers in summer, from October to January. The fruit is an ovoid, fleshy drupe, yellow to pale orange when ripe. The fruits appear from January to July.

It is sometimes confused with Berchemia zeyheri (red ivory), which is a smaller tree with more grey-green leaves and yellow to brown-red fruits.