The northern wild raisin is an abundant shrub in humid environments. It can reach a height of 1 to 3 meters. Its opposite leaves are oval, acuminate and finely toothed. Their color evolves from pale green in the summertime to a reddish hue in the fall.
The flowers are small and white. They form a compound, distinctly pedunculate cyme.
Inflorescences generally measure from 5 to 10 cm across, sometimes as much as 12 cm in well-developed specimens. Each inflorescence may contain several dozen densely arranged small flowers (between 50 and 100).
The fruit is an ovoid drupe that changes from pink to blueish black when ripe. It contains a flattened kernel.