Cercis occidentalis is a deciduous shrub to small tree, growing up to 7 metres (23 ft) tall.

[4] The leaves are arranged alternately along the twigs and are simple, round, and slightly leathery, growing to 5–9 centimetres (2.0–3.5 in) in diameter, with 12–25-millimetre (0.47–0.98 in) petioles.

[4] They start as light green early in the season and darken as they age; on plants at higher elevation, leaves may turn gold or red as the weather cools.

The fruits are legume pods, 4–7.5 centimetres (1.6–3.0 in) long and about 12 millimetres (0.47 in) wide, thin and dry, and brown or reddish-purple.

As is the case with other legumes, it is a nitrogen-fixing plant because of the presence of root nodules, allowing symbiotic bacteria to produce nitrogen.

[4][7] They grow singly and in shrubby clumps alongside California buckeye, ceanothus, manzanita, and other chaparral brush.

[11] It has been described as being worthy of notice for foresters only because of their use in "forming a scanty cover along dry, rocky borders of streams," and the wood has been described as being of no economic or domestic use.

[5] Cercis occidentalis is important to the ethnobotany of multiple native groups, being used in basketry, and has different names in their respective languages.