It is a dense tangle of spiny spreading or erect branches. It can form bushy thickets.[1] The leaves are pale, giving the plant its name.[2] The flowers are solitary or borne in pairs. They are funnel-shaped and "creamy-yellow to yellowish-green" or "greenish cream, sometimes tinged with purple".[2] They are fragrant and pollinated by insects.[2] The fruit is a juicy, oval-shaped, shiny red berry containing up to 50 seeds.