Cyanea solanacea, a member of the Campanulaceae (bellflower) family, is a short-lived perennial woody shrub 2 to 5 m (7 to 16 ft) tall with branched stems. Leaves are dimorphic: juveniles are pinnately cleft to divided with blades 20 to 40 cm (8 to 16 in) long, 6 to 13 cm (2.5 to 5 in) wide (across the segments), and lower surface pale green. Leaf segments are 9 to13 per side, oblong to oblanceolate or triangular, 10 to 25 mm (0.4 to 1 in) wide, margins of the segments irregularly lobed to divided, and apex acute or obtuse. Petioles are 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) long and pubescent. In mature plants, leaves are elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate, blades 16 to 36 cm (6.3 to 14 in) long, 4 to 14 cm (1.6 to 5.5 in) wide, with margins irregularly dentate, lobed or cleft, petioles 2.5 to 6 cm (1 to 2.4 in) long and glabrous or pubescent. Inflorescences are 5- to 10-flowered, corolla white tinged with pale lilac, 48 to 60 mm (1.9 to 2.4 in) long, 4 to 5 mm (0.15 to 0.2 in) wide, pubescent or rarely subglabrous. Berries are orange, ellipsoid, 11 to 16 mm (0.4 to 0.6 in) long, crowned by the persistent calyx lobes.