Melaleuca eximia is a woody shrub growing to 3 m (10 ft) tall with short, silky hairs covering the young branches.

Flowering occurs mainly in October and November and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules 4.5–5 mm (0.18–0.20 in) long, crowded in cylindrical clusters around the stems.

[2][3] The first formal description of this plant was made in 1990 by Kirsten Cowley in Australian Systematic Botany as Melaleuca coccinea subsp.

[6][7] The specific epithet (eximia) is from the Latin eximius meaning "exceptional" or "extraordinary", referring to the appearance of the plant in flower.

[9] This melaleuca is listed as "Priority Two" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife, meaning that it is known from only a few locations but is not currently in imminent danger.