It grows near streams in various types of rainforest, and is also seen in ecotone areas dominated by brush box and tallowwood.

A feature of Daphnandra apatela is the larger branchlets meeting the main trunk in what resembles a ball-and-socket joint.

A small to medium-sized tree, sometimes reaching 20 metres tall and with a trunk diameter of 25 cm.

Small flowers form from June to October, being greenish white or pinkish green.

The fruit is a woody receptacle that splits in two, releasing hairy windblown achenes with one seed.