Sleepy Morning is a short-lived shrub or subshrub sometimes reaching 2 m in height and 2 cm in stem diameter. Sleepy morning develops a weak taproot, robust lateral roots, and abundant fine roots. The roots are brown and flexible. This shrub usually has a single, strong stem emerging from the ground, but frequently branches near the ground. The young stems and leaves are covered with a grey, velvety hairs. The alternate leaves are narrowly ovate or oblong with a rounded to heart-shaped base, irregularly serrate edges, and a rounded to acute tip. The stalks are 0.5-3.3 cm long and the blades are 2-12 cm long and 1-7 cm broad. Inflorescences are usually dense clusters in leaf axils, that contain fragrant, yellow to orange flowers. Each 2-mm capsule holds one tiny, black, obovoid seed.