It has rough, compacted bark on the lower trunk, smooth bark above, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, green to yellow flower buds arranged in groups of eleven to thirty or more, white flowers and hemispherical or shortened spherical fruit.Eucalyptus elata is a tree that typically grows to a height of 40 m (130 ft), rarely a mallee to 6 m (20 ft), and forms a lignotuber.

It has rough, compact, dark grey bark, with narrow longitudinal fissures on the lower trunk.

The bark on the upper trunk and branches is smooth, shedding in long ribbons often remaining in the crown, leaving a grey, cream-coloured or whitish surface.

[8] River peppermint usually grows along watercourse but sometimes also in undulating country, on rocky ridges or on scree slopes in forest.

[3][4][5] E. elata is widely cultivated as a street and ornamental tree for its beautiful upper smooth bark, rich green foliage and profusion of flowers that appear in spherical masses.