Rubus rosifolius is a shrub or subshrub. The stems are erect, arching, or trailing, growing 1–2 meters long. They are moderately to sparsely pilose and sparsely covered with recurved prickles 1–4 mm long, with elongate bases. The leaves are compound (pinnate) and alternate. The blades are broadly lanceolate, measuring 1.5–8 cm long and (0.6–)1–3 cm wide, with terminal leaflets slightly larger. Each leaf consists of 7 leaflets, though sometimes there are only 5 in the upper leaves. The surfaces of the terminal leaflets are sparsely pilose to glabrate and sometimes glandular-dotted. The leaf margins are doubly serrate. The leaves are petiolate, with petiolules 0.1–0.3 cm long. The rachis, petiolules, and petioles are pilose, and the rachis and petioles are usually covered with small recurved prickles. The stipules are filiform, measuring 0.6–0.8 cm long. The flowers are solitary or sometimes appear in clusters of 2–3, terminal or axillary. The flowers are bisexual (perfect) and actinomorphic (radially symmetric). The calyx consists of 5 persistent sepals, with lanceolate sepals measuring 8–15 mm long, finely tomentose surfaces, and the apex long-attenuate. The corolla has five white petals, obovate in shape, measuring 10–20 mm long. Stamens are numerous. The fruit is red at maturity, subglobose, 2–3.5 cm long, and deciduous from the receptacle. Each drupelet contains one seed. It occurs in disturbed mesic to wet forests between 60–1,730 meters.