Abutilon sandwicense is a shrub that typically grows to heights of 1.5–3 meters but can reach up to 6 meters. It is characterized by its white to yellowish stellate pubescence and glandular tomentulose coating. It has simple, alternate leaves with cordate-ovate to cordate-orbicular blades, measuring 8–22 cm long. The leaves have acuminate apexes, sparsely puberulent surfaces in a pale green color, and thin consistency. The margins are shallowly dentate, featuring tufted-pubescent teeth, and the petioles are somewhat shorter than the blades. Stipules are usually present. It bears solitary flowers in the leaf axils. These pendulous flowers have articulate apical pedicels, measuring 3.5–6 cm long at anthesis and extending up to 10 cm in fruit. The flowers are perfect (bisexual), and the calyx is campanulate to cup-shaped, sometimes reflexed, and pale greenish-yellow, measuring 3–4 cm long. It is softly pubescent with a mix of stellate, simple, and glandular hairs, and densely silky pubescent with simple hairs inside near the basal nectaries. The corolla is actinomorphic to moderately zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetric), tubular-campanulate to broadly campanulate, rotate, or reflexed, comprising five obovate petals that are bright green to reddish brown with green veins, yellowish green at the base, and 4–5 cm long and 1.4–2 cm wide at the apex. The stamens form a monadelphous column, 3.5–4.5 cm long, with the apex densely yellow antheriferous. The fruits are schizocarps that separate tardily; they are black, vase-like, and 17–25 mm long, with yellowish-brown stellate pubescence. The mericarps number 8–10 are ovate-oblong, with a long-acute apex and loculicidal dehiscence. The seeds are dull brown, triangular-reniform, up to 3 mm long, and sparsely pubescent. It is found on steep slopes in dry forests at elevations ranging from 300-600 meters.