It is a shrub or tree with brown, fibrous bark, softly-hairy branchlets, lance-shaped or egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and spikes of small, white, tube-shaped flowers.

Styphelia yorkensis is a shrub or tree that typically grows to a height of up to 10 m (33 ft), and has brown, fibrous bark and softly-hairy branchlets.

[2] This species was first formally described in 1990 by Leslie Pedley who gave it the name Leucopogon yorkensis in the journal Austrobaileya.

[3] The specific epithet (yorkensis) refers to the occurrence of this species on Cape York Peninsula.

It occurs on Torres Strait islands and on northern and eastern parts of the Cape York Peninsula as far south as Cooktown.