Herbaceous, glandular-pubescent, aromatic, biennial to perennial,. Acaulous or with very short stem. Bright green, sometimes brownish-red tinged, obovate to rhomboidal-spatulate succulent leaves, up to 10(-20) x 5(-8) cm, with ciliate margins, borne in a dense and flattened rosette, up to 45 cm in diameter. Numerous flowers borne in a large, ramose panicle, up to 30 x 45 cm, emerging from the centre of the rosette. Yellow petals, sometimes extemally redspotted, 7-10 mm.
Common plant which inhabits rocky coastal slopes, mainly North coast, in the Laurisilva, and at highest altitudes on Madeira. They also Occur on rocky slopes of some peaks on Porto Santo and Desertas. The hybrid Aeonjum glandulosum x glutinosum ís very similar to this species, djfferent in that it presents more rigid and more viscid leaves with brownish stripes.