Dipterocarpus lowii grows as a large tree up to 55 metres (180 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 2 metres (7 ft). Bark is chocolate-brown. The fruits are roundish, up to 4 cm (2 in) long. Habitat is mixed dipterocarp forest, also on rocks, from sea-level to 400 metres (1,300 ft) altitude. D. lowii is found in Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo.