Jacaranda glabra is a deciduous tree that grows up to 20-30 meters tall with a spread of 10-20 meters. It has a broad, spreading crown and a trunk diameter of up to 2 meters. The bark is grey-brown and smooth when young, becoming rough and fissured with age. The leaves are bipinnate, up to 45 cm long, with 10-20 pairs of pinnae, each with 20-50 pairs of small leaflets. The flowers are blue-purple, up to 5 cm long, and borne in large panicles up to 50 cm long. The fruit is a capsule up to 5 cm long, containing numerous small seeds.