It grows up to 30-40 m tall, but is usually seen as a smaller garden tree. It has broad shiny oval leaves 10-35 cm long and 5-15 cm broad. The leaves develop inside a reddish sheath at the tip of branches, which looks very attractive. It grows larger as the new leaf develops. When it is mature, it unfurls and the sheath drops off the plant. Inside the new leaf, another immature leaf is waiting to develop.