Durian trees can grow up to 40 m in height, with a straight trunk and almost horizontal branches near the upper region of the trunk. The bark is grey to reddish brown, rough and scaly. The leaves are simple, pointed and with a coating of scales on the underside which gives the characteristic coppery appearance. The flowers are large, white, cream or yellow, produced in bunches on the woody branches (cauliflorous). The fruits are large, round capsules, green to yellow and covered with many spines. On ripening the fruit drops to the ground and splits open into four to five segments, exposing the fleshy, yellow to cream pulp (aril) covering the seed. The ripe fruit emits a strong characteristic aroma, and this no doubt attracts various animals, including man, who seeks the pulp.

Durian is widely cultivated in Southeast Asia for its unmistakable large spiny fruits that split open to expose its creamy white flesh. Durian is an acquired taste as the strong odour can be overpowering to some. It is easy to spot a Durian tree by its leaves which have a coppery underside, giving the underside of the tree's crown a coppery colour. This large specimen was planted by a resident of Pulau Ubin about 70 years ago and is still producing fruits. This Heritage Tree had a girth of 4.65m when measured in Year 2007.