Maianthemum mexicanum is a perennial, terrestrial herb found as an understory species in moist forests.

Leaf blades are hairless, lance- to egg-shaped with pointed tips and rounded to tapered bases.

[1] The flowers are yellowish-white, set on 0.7 to 1.5 mm long pedicels that have small, conical hairs.

[1] Maianthemum racemosum is similar, but it has a panicle that is pyramidal in shape, with well-developed secondary axes mostly longer than 1 cm long.

The panicle of M. mexicanum has an elongated main axis with short side branches, usually <1 cm long.