The evergreen Dracaena aletriformis grows from 1 m to 5 m in height. Dichotomous branching occurs but it happened differently here, unless the small rosette is independent.

The bark is pale grey to whitish, softly fibrous and smooth, but for the leaf scars. The strap-shaped, leathery leaves may become 1 m long and 12 cm wide. They grow spirally arranged in stem-tip rosettes, their bases clasping the stem.

The tree’s habitat ranges from dune forest understoreys, dense ravines and dry scrub to montane forest. It may form dense stands in shady places (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Pooley, 1993).