The flowers of the Shrivelfig grow inside the fruit, both of which are purple in colour. It is a deciduous plant, meaning that its leaves start to shed in autumn, and the plant is leafless during winter. However, due to its aggressive roots, the plant can still survive even in snowy conditions.

During the 1987–1988 school year, Shrivelfig was studied in fourth year Herbology class. The Shrivelfigs students learned to grow were brought to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from Abyssinia. During the lesson, Pomona Sprout shared with the class that Severus Snape loved Shrivelfigs, and Nymphadora Tonks expressed that seeing the purple plant made her wanted purple hair.