It has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and branches, usually only juvenile, glaucous, egg-shaped evergreen leaves, flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and conical to bell-shaped fruit.Eucalyptus cinerea is a tree that typically grows to a height of 15–30 m (49–98 ft) tall and forms a lignotuber.

[3][5][6][7][8] Eucalyptus cinerea was first formally described by the botanist George Bentham in 1867 from the herbarium of Ferdinand von Mueller, and the description was published in Flora Australiensis.

[9][10] The specific epithet (cinerea) is a Latin word meaning "ash-coloured" or "grey"[11] referring to the white, waxy bloom on the foliage, buds and fruit of this species.

[16] Argyle apple is typically found from north of Bathurst (33° S), in central west New South Wales, to the Beechworth area of Victoria (36° S).

Subspecies cinerea occurs in the Australian Capital Territory and Captains Flat in New South Wales and subspecies triplex in the Australian Capital Territory and Captains Flat in New South Wales.