Evergreen tree up to 15m. Bark pale grey, smooth but scaling in circular thin flakes exposing yellowish underbark, producing a mottled appearance; branchlets are 4-angled. Leaves are ovate to elliptic, glossy dark green above, paler-green and dull below, apex and base tapering, margin entire, leaf stalk thickset about 5mm long. Flowers are very small, whitish sometimes tinged with pink, sweetly scented, in dense axillary branched heads.

Fruit berry-like, about 10mm in diameter, thinly fleshy, red when mature.

The crushed leaves and newly cut wood smell strongly of almonds.

Wood is hard, heavy and strong and has been used for fencing and telegraph poles and other heavy work.