[4] Rubus schmidelioides is a dicot liana[5] and is a dense shrub with intertwining branchlets.

[6] It is a perennial plant that grows up to 10 metres long, or forms a bush when there is no support nearby.

[9] The leaves are glossy, ranging from orange to green/brown, and are arranged in a compound palmate pattern with 3- 5 leaflets.

[11] The leaflets are glabrous on the upper surface but hairy along the underside, with hair colour ranging from white, brown or grey.

These branchlets are covered in short soft hair when young but become hairless and smooth when mature, and grow large red spikes.

[8] It has previously been found in the driest vegetation zones surrounding lakes and in a freshwater wetland near the Waitangiroto River.

[21] Rubus schmidelioides grows best during the mid-stages of succession when the tree canopies have not grown high.

[22] Rubus schmidelioides favors environments with alluvial soils[12] and appears to be more common in indigenous forests.

[26] A gall mite Acalitus rubensis commonly feeds on R. schmidelioides and causes erineum on the underside of the leaflets in the process.

[27] Endemic caterpillars of the moth Heterocorssa rubophaga feed in flowers, on fruit and the young shoots of R. schmidelioides, and induce gall on the stems.

[27] An endemic flat mite species Tenuipalpus rangiorae feed on R. schmidelioides leaves and lay eggs on the surface of the leaflets.

[27] An endemic species of scale insect feeds on R. schmidelioides and causes sooty mold on its leaflets.

[30] Pigeons, kaka, riflemen, brown creeper, grey warbler, fantail and silvereye are all observed to eat R. schmidelioides berries.

It was used to "tonify the gut", "for treating respiratory congestion and coughs, and was chewed as a remedy for toothache".