The small leathery simple leaves are borne on short petioles and may be slightly two lobed at the end.

[3] Myrsine divaricata is a shrub or small tree up to 4m with drooping/weeping[4] and divaricating[5] branchlets, giving this plant a straggly, twiggy and branched look.

[5] The trunk of M. divaricata is slim[9] with rough, dark brown bark,[4] which is often covered with lichen.

[12] Birds including New Zealand bellbirds and silvereyes, have been observed eating the fruits of M.

[12] Other birds like riflemen, brown creepers, grey warblers, tomtits, and New Zealand fantails use M. divaricata to forage for other things, like invertebrates.

Invertebrates that are known to predate M. divaricata includes moths, beetles, flies, bees, true bugs and nematodes.

[26] This has been specifically observed in the moth species, Declana floccosa,[27] Apoctena flavescens, Gellonia pannularia, Pseudocoremia insignita, Pyrgotis plagiatana,[26] and Pasiphila inductata.

[28] Beetles can be found on M. divaricata, often living in dead parts of the plant, like branches, twigs, or bark.

[32] True bugs have been found using M. divaricata as a host plant, specifically Toxoptera aurantii,[33] Aneurus (Aneurodellus) zealandensis,[34] Eriococcus setulosus,[35] Umbonichiton hymenantherae[36][37] Poliaspis media,[38] Leucaspis gigas, and Rastrococcus namartini.

[40] Plants known to parasitise Myrsine divaricata include mistletoes from the genus Korthalsella.

It is believed that the divaricate form prevented heavy moa predation on leaves tightly held within the plant's branches.

[44] Ostriches (an extant relative of moa) in cafeteria-style trials have showed to strongly select M. divaricata,[45] providing affirmation towards the fact that the divaricate form did not deter moa browsing, but was useful in preventing damage.