[2] It has rough, fibrous to flaky bark on the trunk and branches, a crown composed of juvenile, glaucous, heart-shaped to broadly elliptical leaves arranged in opposite pairs, flower buds arranged in groups of seven on the ends of branches, creamy white to pale yellow flowers and cylindrical to conical fruit.

The crown of the tree is composed of juvenile leaves that are the same glaucous colour on both sides, sessile, heart-shaped or elliptical and arranged in opposite pairs.

[2][3][4][5] Eucalyptus pruinosa was first formally described in 1843 by Johannes Conrad Schauer in Walper's book Repertorium Botanices Systematicae.

[6][7] The type specimen was collected by Robert Brown and Ferdinand Bauer from the South Wellesley Islands in the Gulf of Carpentaria off Queensland in 1802.

In the Northern Territory, it is found in the from Katharine to about Tennant Creek, including the Victoria Daly and Roper Gulf Regions and Arnhem Land.