It is a large tree in the banyan group of figs, growing to 30–40 m – rarely up to 60 m, with a stout trunk up to 2 m in diameter. The trunk develops aerial and buttressing roots to anchor it in the soil and help support heavy branches. The leaves develop inside a sheath at the apical meristem, which grows larger as the new leaf develops. When it is mature, it unfurls and the sheath drops off the plant. Inside the new leaf, another immature leaf is waiting to develop.