Chionanthus balgooyana grows as a tree up to 20 metres (70 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 35 centimetres (14 in). The bark is greyish green or dark brown. The flowers are white or greenish white. Habitat is hill or lower montane forest from 650 metres (2,000 ft) to 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) altitude. C. balgooyana is endemic to the Sarawak region of Malaysian Borneo.