[3][4] It was named after mycologist Lynferd Wickerham due to his contributions to yeast taxonomy.

[2] After growth on YM agar, the cells of K. wickerhamii have been described as "spherical to cylindrical" with colorations ranging from cream to pink or brown, due to the production of the iron chelate pulcherrimin.

[5] Cells grown in malt extract media have been described as oval in shape, and can occur individually, paired, or in chains.

[1][2] It has also been isolated from tree species Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)[6] and Fremont's Cottonwood (Populus fremontii).

[8] It has been suggested that this antifungal production may be a useful tool to prevent wine spoilage by other yeasts such as Brettanomyces.