It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and barrel-shaped or cup-shaped flowers.Eucalyptus burgessiana is a mallee or a small tree that typically grows to 7 metres (23 ft) and forms a lignotuber.

Young plants and coppice regrowth are densely warty on the lower stem and have leaves that are glossy and bright green on both sides.

The fruit is a woody barrel-shaped, cup-shaped or urn-shaped capsule 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in) long and wide.

[3][4][5] Eucalyptus burgessiana was first formally described in 1972 by Lawrie Johnson and Donald Blaxell from a specimen in Faulconbridge.

[6] The specific epithet (burgessiana) honours Colin Burgess (1907–1987) who was knowledgeable about the flora of the Blue Mountains.