E. glaucus is a perennial daisy reaching heights between 5 and 40 centimetres (2 and 15+1⁄2 inches) with branching, nodding stems which may be glandular and hairy[2] to hairless.

It grows from a stout rhizome and produces thick, firm, rounded to spoon-shaped leaves, sometimes with a few teeth along the edges, each 2–13 cm (3⁄4–5 in) long.

[3] From April to August, its stems bear inflorescences of 1–15 flower heads which vary in size from about 1 to 6.5 cm (1⁄2 to 2+1⁄2 in) wide.

[2] The wildflower is native to the coastline of Oregon and California where it grows on beaches, coastal bluffs and dunes.

While typical habitats include coastal bluffs, one highly specialised plant association is found within the two Cupressus macrocarpa dominant forests in Monterey County, California.