It has rough bark on the lower half of the trunk, smooth grey bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of nine or eleven, white flowers and shortened spherical fruit.Eucalyptus lateritica is a mallee that typically grows to a height of 2–4 m (6 ft 7 in – 13 ft 1 in) and forms a lignotuber.

[4][6] The specific epithet (lateritica) is derived from the Latin word lateritius meaning "brick-red", referring to the lateritic gravel which dominated the area where this species grows.

The other species in this series include E. erectifolia, E. platydisca, E. diversifolia, E. todtiana, E. pachyloma, E. dolorosa and E.

[2] This mallee is listed as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia).

[2] The main potential threats to the species include susceptibility to disease caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi, fire, insect damage, grazing, weeds and mining activities.