It is usually rounded in form and grows to around 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) in height.

Cotton bush is a divaricately branched shrub that grows to 0.5–2 meters high.

The branchlets of Cotton bush striate and are almost glabrous to somewhat woolly, and often spinescent.

Its leaves are small, alternate, slender and subterete.

They are rarely longer than 8 millimeters and are frequently caducous.