It has smooth branches covered with rust-coloured scales, linear to elliptical or egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and pale to bright yellow flowers in umbels with rust-coloured or silvery scales on the back.

The upper surface of the leaves is more or less glabrous but the lower side is covered with silvery to rust-coloured scales and star-shaped hairs.

The petals are pale to bright yellow or cream-coloured, elliptical, 2–4.5 mm (0.079–0.177 in) long with silvery to rust-coloured scales on the back.

[2][3][4][5] Phebalium squamulosum was first formally described in 1805 by Étienne Pierre Ventenat in his book Jardin de la Malmaison and was the first species in the genus to be described.

The species is frost tolerant and performs best in a well-drained, partially shaded position with a cool, moist root zone.