[2] It is a low-growing, spreading very quickly evergreen shrub 20–40 cm tall.

The flowers are 4–10 mm diameter, with five (rarely six) white to pale pink petals; they are produced in racemes in late spring.

The fruit is a drupe 5–6 mm diameter, red maturing dark purple-black in early winter.

Because of the red berries and the word play of its name it is used during Japanese New Year for chabana decoration, normally along winter jasmine.

[7] It has escaped from cultivation and established itself in the wild in the United States, in Gainesville, Florida.