Despite the common name, it is not a bamboo at all. It is an erect shrub growing to 2 m tall, with numerous, usually unbranched stems growing from the roots. The glossy leaves are evergreen (sometimes deciduous in colder areas), 50–100 cm long, bi- to tri-pinnately compound, with the individual leaflets 4–11 cm long and 1.5–3 cm broad. The young leaves in spring are brightly coloured pink to red before turning green; old leaves turn red or purple again before falling. The flowers are white, borne in early summer in conical clusters held well above the foliage. The fruit is a bright red berry 5–10 mm diameter, ripening in late autumn and often persisting through the winter.