Lomatia fraseri grows as a tall shrub or small tree up to 8–11 metres (25–36 ft) high,[1] though can be much smaller in exposed areas; on heathland in Werrikimbe National Park it is reduced to a height of 50 cm (20 in), and can be 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high in exposed areas in Victoria.

[4] These white to cream inflorescences appear between December and February in the species' native range, followed by the development of 1.5 to 3 cm long dark grey follicles, which are ripe from April to October.

[1][3] Scottish botanist Robert Brown described Lomatia fraseri in his 1830 work Supplementum primum Prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae, from a specimen that had been collected in the Sydney district (then known as Port Jackson) by Charles Fraser in 1818.

[5] Hybrids have been recorded with the river lomatia (Lomatia myricoides) on the Southern Tablelands, resulting in plants resembling L. fraseri but less hairy, and with crinkle bush (L. silaifolia) in the New England area, resulting in plants with highly variable leaf shapes and hairy leaf undersides.

Fieldwork in the Central Highlands of Victoria predicts populations will be adversely affected by clearfelling and salvage logging after bushfires there.

[2] Lomatia fraseri grows in sun or preferably part-shade, benefiting from extra watering when young and from organic mulch.