Boswellia serrata is a moderate-sized to a large tree. It is a deciduous tree with a light, spreading crown and somewhat drooping branches. It usually has a short bole, 3-5 m in length, sometimes longer if grown in a fully stocked forest. Ordinarily, it attains a girth of 1.2-1.8 m and a height of 9-15 m. Its bark is very thin, greyish-green, ashy, or reddish with a chlorophyll layer beneath the thin outer layer, which peels off in thin, papery flakes.
Leaves are alternate, exstipulate, imparipinnate, 20-45 cm in length, crowded towards the ends of the branches; leaflets 17-31 cm, opposite, 2.5-8 cm x 0.8-1.5 cm, basal pairs often smallest, sessile, lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, crenate, very variable in size.

The flowers are white, in stout racemes, 10-20 cm long, shorter than the leaves, crowded towards the ends of branches, but not terminal. The calyx is persistent, pubescent outside, 5 to 7-toothed, teeth small, and deltoid. Petals are 5-7, erect, free, 0.5 cm long. Fruits from this variety are 1.3 cm long, trigonous, with three valves and three heart-shaped, 1- seeded pyrenes, winged, along with the margins.