diff --git a/src/cdk/a11y/aria-describer/aria-describer.spec.ts b/src/cdk/a11y/aria-describer/aria-describer.spec.ts
index 66d4e08af3e..0b71a7e9901 100644
--- a/src/cdk/a11y/aria-describer/aria-describer.spec.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/a11y/aria-describer/aria-describer.spec.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@ describe('AriaDescriber', () => {
     expectMessages(['My Message']);
   });
 
+  it('should be able to describe using an element', () => {
+    const descriptionNode = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('#description-with-existing-id');
+    ariaDescriber.describe(component.element1, descriptionNode);
+    expectMessage(component.element1, 'Hello');
+  });
+
   it('should not register empty strings', () => {
     ariaDescriber.describe(component.element1, '');
     expect(getMessageElements()).toBe(null);
@@ -60,6 +66,16 @@ describe('AriaDescriber', () => {
     expectMessage(component.element3, 'My Message');
   });
 
+  it('should de-dupe a message registered multiple via an element node', () => {
+    const descriptionNode = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('#description-with-existing-id');
+    ariaDescriber.describe(component.element1, descriptionNode);
+    ariaDescriber.describe(component.element2, descriptionNode);
+    ariaDescriber.describe(component.element3, descriptionNode);
+    expectMessage(component.element1, 'Hello');
+    expectMessage(component.element2, 'Hello');
+    expectMessage(component.element3, 'Hello');
+  });
+
   it('should be able to register multiple messages', () => {
     ariaDescriber.describe(component.element1, 'First Message');
     ariaDescriber.describe(component.element2, 'Second Message');
@@ -87,6 +103,43 @@ describe('AriaDescriber', () => {
     expect(getMessagesContainer()).toBeNull();
   });
 
+  it('should not remove nodes that were set as messages when unregistering', () => {
+    const descriptionNode = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('#description-with-existing-id');
+
+    expect(document.body.contains(descriptionNode))
+        .toBe(true, 'Expected node to be inside the document to begin with.');
+    expect(getMessagesContainer()).toBeNull('Expected no messages container on init.');
+
+    ariaDescriber.describe(component.element1, descriptionNode);
+
+    expectMessage(component.element1, 'Hello');
+    expect(getMessagesContainer())
+        .toBeNull('Expected no messages container after the element was described.');
+
+    ariaDescriber.removeDescription(component.element1, descriptionNode);
+
+    expect(document.body.contains(descriptionNode)).toBe(true,
+        'Expected description node to still be in the DOM after it is no longer being used.');
+  });
+
+  it('should keep nodes set as descriptions inside their original position in the DOM', () => {
+    const descriptionNode = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('#description-with-existing-id');
+    const initialParent = descriptionNode.parentNode;
+
+    expect(initialParent).toBeTruthy('Expected node to have a parent initially.');
+
+    ariaDescriber.describe(component.element1, descriptionNode);
+
+    expectMessage(component.element1, 'Hello');
+    expect(descriptionNode.parentNode).toBe(initialParent,
+        'Expected node to stay inside the same parent when used as a description.');
+
+    ariaDescriber.removeDescription(component.element1, descriptionNode);
+
+    expect(descriptionNode.parentNode).toBe(initialParent,
+      'Expected node to stay inside the same parent after not being used as a description.');
+  });
+
   it('should be able to unregister messages while having others registered', () => {
     ariaDescriber.describe(component.element1, 'Persistent Message');
     ariaDescriber.describe(component.element2, 'My Message');
@@ -140,6 +193,39 @@ describe('AriaDescriber', () => {
     ariaDescriber.describe(component.element1, 'Hi');
     expectMessages(['Hi']);
   });
+
+  it('should assign an id to the description element, if it does not have one', () => {
+    const descriptionNode = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('[description-without-id]');
+    expect(descriptionNode.getAttribute('id')).toBeFalsy();
+    ariaDescriber.describe(component.element1, descriptionNode);
+    expect(descriptionNode.getAttribute('id')).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
+  it('should not overwrite the existing id of the description element', () => {
+    const descriptionNode = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('#description-with-existing-id');
+    expect(descriptionNode.id).toBe('description-with-existing-id');
+    ariaDescriber.describe(component.element1, descriptionNode);
+    expect(descriptionNode.id).toBe('description-with-existing-id');
+  });
+
+  it('should not remove pre-existing description nodes on destroy', () => {
+    const descriptionNode = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('#description-with-existing-id');
+
+    expect(document.body.contains(descriptionNode))
+        .toBe(true, 'Expected node to be inside the document to begin with.');
+
+    ariaDescriber.describe(component.element1, descriptionNode);
+
+    expectMessage(component.element1, 'Hello');
+    expect(component.element1.hasAttribute(CDK_DESCRIBEDBY_HOST_ATTRIBUTE)).toBe(true);
+
+    ariaDescriber.ngOnDestroy();
+
+    expect(component.element1.hasAttribute(CDK_DESCRIBEDBY_HOST_ATTRIBUTE)).toBe(false);
+    expect(document.body.contains(descriptionNode)).toBe(true,
+        'Expected description node to still be in the DOM after it is no longer being used.');
+  });
+
 });
 
 function getMessagesContainer() {
@@ -186,6 +272,8 @@ function expectMessage(el: Element, message: string) {
     <div #element2></div>
     <div #element3></div>
     <div #element4 aria-describedby="existing-aria-describedby1 existing-aria-describedby2"></div>
+    <div id="description-with-existing-id">Hello</div>
+    <div description-without-id>Hey</div>
   `,
 })
 class TestApp {
diff --git a/src/cdk/a11y/aria-describer/aria-describer.ts b/src/cdk/a11y/aria-describer/aria-describer.ts
index 10a6bbecc9f..4c088a80e9d 100644
--- a/src/cdk/a11y/aria-describer/aria-describer.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/a11y/aria-describer/aria-describer.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ export const CDK_DESCRIBEDBY_HOST_ATTRIBUTE = 'cdk-describedby-host';
 let nextId = 0;
 
 /** Global map of all registered message elements that have been placed into the document. */
-const messageRegistry = new Map<string, RegisteredMessage>();
+const messageRegistry = new Map<string|HTMLElement, RegisteredMessage>();
 
 /** Container for all registered messages. */
 let messagesContainer: HTMLElement | null = null;
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ let messagesContainer: HTMLElement | null = null;
  * Utility that creates visually hidden elements with a message content. Useful for elements that
  * want to use aria-describedby to further describe themselves without adding additional visual
  * content.
- * @docs-private
  */
 @Injectable({providedIn: 'root'})
 export class AriaDescriber implements OnDestroy {
@@ -67,12 +66,16 @@ export class AriaDescriber implements OnDestroy {
    * the message. If the same message has already been registered, then it will reuse the created
    * message element.
    */
-  describe(hostElement: Element, message: string) {
+  describe(hostElement: Element, message: string|HTMLElement) {
     if (!this._canBeDescribed(hostElement, message)) {
       return;
     }
 
-    if (!messageRegistry.has(message)) {
+    if (typeof message !== 'string') {
+      // We need to ensure that the element has an ID.
+      this._setMessageId(message);
+      messageRegistry.set(message, {messageElement: message, referenceCount: 0});
+    } else if (!messageRegistry.has(message)) {
       this._createMessageElement(message);
     }
 
@@ -82,7 +85,7 @@ export class AriaDescriber implements OnDestroy {
   }
 
   /** Removes the host element's aria-describedby reference to the message element. */
-  removeDescription(hostElement: Element, message: string) {
+  removeDescription(hostElement: Element, message: string|HTMLElement) {
     if (!this._isElementNode(hostElement)) {
       return;
     }
@@ -91,9 +94,13 @@ export class AriaDescriber implements OnDestroy {
       this._removeMessageReference(hostElement, message);
     }
 
-    const registeredMessage = messageRegistry.get(message);
-    if (registeredMessage && registeredMessage.referenceCount === 0) {
-      this._deleteMessageElement(message);
+    // If the message is a string, it means that it's one that we created for the
+    // consumer so we can remove it safely, otherwise we should leave it in place.
+    if (typeof message === 'string') {
+      const registeredMessage = messageRegistry.get(message);
+      if (registeredMessage && registeredMessage.referenceCount === 0) {
+        this._deleteMessageElement(message);
+      }
     }
 
     if (messagesContainer && messagesContainer.childNodes.length === 0) {
@@ -124,8 +131,8 @@ export class AriaDescriber implements OnDestroy {
    */
   private _createMessageElement(message: string) {
     const messageElement = this._document.createElement('div');
-    messageElement.setAttribute('id', `${CDK_DESCRIBEDBY_ID_PREFIX}-${nextId++}`);
-    messageElement.appendChild(this._document.createTextNode(message)!);
+    this._setMessageId(messageElement);
+    messageElement.textContent = message;
 
     this._createMessagesContainer();
     messagesContainer!.appendChild(messageElement);
@@ -133,6 +140,13 @@ export class AriaDescriber implements OnDestroy {
     messageRegistry.set(message, {messageElement, referenceCount: 0});
   }
 
+  /** Assigns a unique ID to an element, if it doesn't have one already. */
+  private _setMessageId(element: HTMLElement) {
+    if (!element.id) {
+      element.id = `${CDK_DESCRIBEDBY_ID_PREFIX}-${nextId++}`;
+    }
+  }
+
   /** Deletes the message element from the global messages container. */
   private _deleteMessageElement(message: string) {
     const registeredMessage = messageRegistry.get(message);
@@ -184,7 +198,7 @@ export class AriaDescriber implements OnDestroy {
    * Adds a message reference to the element using aria-describedby and increments the registered
    * message's reference count.
    */
-  private _addMessageReference(element: Element, message: string) {
+  private _addMessageReference(element: Element, message: string|HTMLElement) {
     const registeredMessage = messageRegistry.get(message)!;
 
     // Add the aria-describedby reference and set the
@@ -199,7 +213,7 @@ export class AriaDescriber implements OnDestroy {
    * Removes a message reference from the element using aria-describedby
    * and decrements the registered message's reference count.
    */
-  private _removeMessageReference(element: Element, message: string) {
+  private _removeMessageReference(element: Element, message: string|HTMLElement) {
     const registeredMessage = messageRegistry.get(message)!;
     registeredMessage.referenceCount--;
 
@@ -208,7 +222,7 @@ export class AriaDescriber implements OnDestroy {
   }
 
   /** Returns true if the element has been described by the provided message ID. */
-  private _isElementDescribedByMessage(element: Element, message: string): boolean {
+  private _isElementDescribedByMessage(element: Element, message: string|HTMLElement): boolean {
     const referenceIds = getAriaReferenceIds(element, 'aria-describedby');
     const registeredMessage = messageRegistry.get(message);
     const messageId = registeredMessage && registeredMessage.messageElement.id;
@@ -217,16 +231,23 @@ export class AriaDescriber implements OnDestroy {
   }
 
   /** Determines whether a message can be described on a particular element. */
-  private _canBeDescribed(element: Element, message: string): boolean {
+  private _canBeDescribed(element: Element, message: string|HTMLElement|void): boolean {
     if (!this._isElementNode(element)) {
       return false;
     }
 
+    if (message && typeof message === 'object') {
+      // We'd have to make some assumptions about the description element's text, if the consumer
+      // passed in an element. Assume that if an element is passed in, the consumer has verified
+      // that it can be used as a description.
+      return true;
+    }
+
     const trimmedMessage = message == null ? '' : `${message}`.trim();
     const ariaLabel = element.getAttribute('aria-label');
 
-    // We shouldn't set descriptions if they're exactly the same as the `aria-label` of the element,
-    // because screen readers will end up reading out the same text twice in a row.
+    // We shouldn't set descriptions if they're exactly the same as the `aria-label` of the
+    // element, because screen readers will end up reading out the same text twice in a row.
     return trimmedMessage ? (!ariaLabel || ariaLabel.trim() !== trimmedMessage) : false;
   }
 
diff --git a/tools/public_api_guard/cdk/a11y.d.ts b/tools/public_api_guard/cdk/a11y.d.ts
index f13724f6f1a..cbe0a706ed9 100644
--- a/tools/public_api_guard/cdk/a11y.d.ts
+++ b/tools/public_api_guard/cdk/a11y.d.ts
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ export declare function ARIA_DESCRIBER_PROVIDER_FACTORY(parentDispatcher: AriaDe
 
 export declare class AriaDescriber implements OnDestroy {
     constructor(_document: any);
-    describe(hostElement: Element, message: string): void;
+    describe(hostElement: Element, message: string | HTMLElement): void;
     ngOnDestroy(): void;
-    removeDescription(hostElement: Element, message: string): void;
+    removeDescription(hostElement: Element, message: string | HTMLElement): void;
 }
 
 export declare type AriaLivePoliteness = 'off' | 'polite' | 'assertive';