It has smooth, grey and cream-coloured bark, elliptic to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between three and nine, usually white flowers and conical, hemispherical or cup-shaped fruit.Eucalyptus coccifera is a tree that typically grows to a height of 15 metres (49 ft) but is sometimes a mallee to 5 m (16 ft).

[5] It is endemic to central and southern Tasmania, where it generally occupies sub-alpine habitats above 800 metres (2,600 ft) in altitude.

At these altitudes, E. coccifera generally grows to heights below 10 metres (33 ft), often blending into the alpine shrubbery at the highest reaches of its distribution.

[5][13] A strong correlation has been found between increasing altitude and declining stem growth rate in E.

[11] Whilst individual and population tree height is the primary change in Eucalyptus coccifera at higher altitudes, observational studies have shown that with increasing altitude, the degree of leaf and bud glaucousness intensifies.

These dolerite-rich substrates provide sufficient drainage for the establishment of E. coccifera populations, which prefers well-drained soils.

They also offer a potentially rich nutrient source to the sub-alpine plant communities, but the slow rate at which dolerite weathers results in soil of only moderate fertility.

This is due to the sporadic nature of Tasmanian rainfall, and a number of other factors including soil type, slope and wind action.

However, it has been shown that waterlogging is a limiting factor on the growth rate of E. coccifera and can, as a consequence, affect the success of the species in susceptible areas.

E. coccifera must contend with hot and dry temperatures during the peak of summer, as well as very cold, frosty conditions in winter.

Despite the increased exposure of sites at very high altitudes, solar radiation is not thought to markedly affect temperatures, nor does it have much impact on the growth rate of E.

[14] Whilst E. coccifera is considered fairly frost-hardy, rare extreme frost events are thought to be one of the principle determinants of subalpine species distribution.

[12] Similarly, the duration of snow lie dictates, to a large extent, the species that can persist in alpine/sub-alpine habitats.

As snow lie in Tasmania is not permanent, woody species such as E. coccifera and its underlying shrub population can persist at higher altitudes.

[10][11][16] Low-lying conifers of the Cupressaceae (Diselma archerii) and Podocarpaceae (Microachrys tetragona, Phaerosphaera hookeriana) are also common in these sclerophyllous heaths.