An annual herbaceous plant, a species of the Abelmoschus genus of the Malvaceae family, a vegetable crop. Plant height - from 30-40 cm (dwarf varieties) to 2 m (tall forms).
The stem is thick, woody, pubescent with sparse hard hairs. It is branched at the base and forms from two to seven stems.
The leaves are long-petiolate, light or dark green, rather large, five-seven-lobed, pubescent.
The flowers are single, large, bisexual, yellowish-cream in color, located in the axils of the leaves on short pubescent pedicels.
The fruits are multi-seeded pyramidal capsules of elongated shape, reminiscent of green pepper pods, covered with fine hairs. In some varieties of okra, the fruits reach 25 cm.