Lepidium arbuscula, a member of the Brassicaceae (mustard) family, is a gnarled shrub 0.6 to 1.2 m (2 to 3.9 ft) tall. The leathery, hairless leaves, 2.6 to 6 cm (1 to 2.4 in) long and 0.8 to 1.8 cm (0.3 to 0.7 in) wide, are spatula shaped to oblong-elliptic or elliptic, and have toothed margins. The unbranched flowering stalk contains one to three erect flowers. The white, pale yellow, or greenish petals are 2 to 2.5 mm (0.08 to 0.1 in) long. The fruit is a capsule which is broadly egg-shaped to almost circular.