Tree up to 25m tall. Trunk girth up to 25m when mature. Branches short, stout and twiggy at ends. Bark red-brown to purple-grey. Leaves simple to digitate, with up to 9 dark green and glossy leaflets but usually 5. The flower stalk is long.

Flowers pendulous, up to 20 cm wide, white, petals rounded containing a mass of stamens, often open before leaves. Fruit is long, globose to ovoid, covered in felt-like downy hairs, contain many seeds. Baobab leaves, bark, and fruit are used for food and medicinal purposes in southern Africa. The bark has astringent properties and has been used traditionally to alleviate colds, fevers, and influenza. The wood, bark, and seeds of the tree are known to have anti-inflammatory properties. The leaves may be used as an antiperspirant, and they also have been used to treat fever, kidney and bladder diseases, as well as asthma and diarrhea.