Hovea heterophylla is a small subshrub to 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) high, stems upright or trailing, mostly emerging from a woody rootstock, and flattened, grey-brown straight hairs.

The leaf margins rolled under to curved, hooked at the apex, upper surface hairless, smooth, net-like veins, under surface paler with flattened, dense hairs.

The inflorescence has 1-3 pale mauve or purple flowers, standard petal striped with a yellow centre and the keel dark purple, calyx 3.5–5 mm (0.14–0.20 in) long, pedicel 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) long.

[2][3] Hovea heterophylla was first formally described in 1855 by Joseph Dalton Hooker from an unpublished description by Allan Cunningham in The botany of the Antarctic voyage of H.M.

[6] Creeping hovea is a common and widespread species growing in grassy woodland and montane forests on coasts and ranges in New South Wales.