It is an evergreen climbing shrub, scrambling over other shrubs and small trees to heights of up to 5-10 m. The leaves are 3-10 cm long, with usually three leaflets, sometimes five leaflets, bright glossy green and glabrous. The flowers are 6-10 cm diameter, fragrant, with pure white petals and yellow stamens, and are followed by bright red and bristly hips 2-4 cm diameter. The flower stem is also very bristly.