Water spinach has light green ovate leaves, its stems are hollow, so they can float on the water. Both leaves and stems are edible and can be used as the way you use spinach. Under tropical conditions, water spinach can be harvested throughout the year, as the leaves grow again after harvesting. In cooler climates, it is grown as annual, mostly in wide containers.

Water spinach is an annual or perennial, aquatic herb whose stem is hollow, spongy and 2–3 m long. It trails or foats on water and is glabrous, or hairy at the nodes. The stem also contains a milky sap. The surfaces of the leaves are even and arrowhead-shaped. The blades extend up to 5–15 cm and are 2–6 cm broad, whereas the petiole is about 3–14 cm in length. The leaves generally foat on water. The fruits are oval-shaped and enclose 1–4 seeds. Seeds may differ in color ranging from gray, brown to black. The flowers are bisexual, funnel shaped and are white to light purple in color.