Cells are Gram-negative, rod-shaped and facultatively anaerobic. They form small, round-shaped, white, opaque and flat colonies on nutrient agar with 0.5–1 mm in diameter after 17 h. Like other Pectobacterium species, they are catalase-positive, oxidase-negative and pectinolytic. They grow at +37 °C and on Luria–Broth with 5 % NaCl. They can utilize sucrose, lactose, melibiose and raffinose as well as many other sugars, but are negative on citrate and many amino acids and sugars on Biolog plates. Pectobacterium parvum isolates have a low maceration ability on potato tuber tissue and inhibit growth of D. solani in dual culture.

Previously published 16S sequences of the following strains are available with the following accession numbers: s0421T, KC337335; IFB5220, MH166802; IFB5222, KU510098; IFB5223, MH166801; IFB5252, KU510101.

The Pectobacterium parvum type strain is s0421T (CFBP 8630=LMG 30828).