Pride of India is a small tree with an eventual height of 5-10 m. Large, pinnate to bipinnate leaves 25-30 cm, 7-15 leaflets. In spring the buds are reddish green and the autumn colouration is yellow.
Pouch-like angular brown fruits that resemble Chinese lanterns; they appear after flowering and are retained for a long time.
Prefers fertile calcareous soil and sunny sheltered planting locations. Useful as a solitary park tree, also for larger gardens. In this part of Europe, young parts of the crown are relatively susceptible to frost damage; when the damage is pruned back, the tree succussfully regenerates.