This is an erect dwarf shrub growing to a height of from one to two feet, having stiff, crowded branches with leaves varying in form, from oblong to obovate, and in color from green to green tinged with yellow and red. The white flowers are solitary, and come mostly in the axils of the true leaves. The globose fruit is a fleshy, shiny berry, much resembling the cranberry; in color it is yellow or pale rose, and is covered with a waxy bloom.

The Ohelo thrives best in the higher elevations, from 4000 to 8000 feet. It grows particularly well on the mountain slopes of Hawaii and Maui. It is an edible berry, and is the principal food of the rare Hawaiian goose, now to be found in only a few localities. The Ohelo has always been a favorite subject of Hawaiian songs and legends, and was used as one of the offerings to the Goddess Pele.