Ximenia americana var. microphylla is a much-branched, spreading, spiny shrub or, less often, scrambling, or a small tree, up to 6 m in its natural habitat. Branches normally arching downwards, often armed with straight spines. Leaves are simple, alternate or clustered on spur shoots, with rounded and slightly notched tips, with a broadly tapering base or rounded and occasionally softly haired, bluish grey-green. In spring it produces small, greenish white, fragrant flowers, borne on short shoots. 

It produces oval, shiny, light green fruits that grow up to 30 mm long, and turn yellow, orange or red when ripe. The fruit contains one large endospermic seed within its green pulp, containing a small embryo with a thin testa. 

It is a facultative hemi-parasite, which is the ability to live on the roots of available host species, but it can live independent of a host. It can also attach to non-living objects like rock or plastic, otherwise known as auto-parasite. 

This species is similar to Ximenia caffra, the sour plum, but can be distinguished by its smaller leaves and fruits, and the inflorescence is usually branched and bears several flowers, whereas in X. caffra, flowers are borne singly or in tufts.