It is a small to medium-sized tree, often with several main stems, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, racemes of up to seven flowers, the petals with fringed lobes, and dark blue fruit.

Elaeocarpus johnsonii is a small to medium-sized tree typically growing to a height of 20 m (66 ft), often with several buttressed trunks.

Flowering occurs in September and the fruit is a dark blue drupe with a waxy bloom and 27–30 mm (1.1–1.2 in) long.

[2][3] Elaeocarpus johnsonii was first formally described in 1893 by Ferdinand von Mueller in the Journal of Botany, British and Foreign.

ex C.T.White" by Plants of the World Online because White noted that he had been unable to find the place of publication.