It is found in the northwestern United States, where it grows as an epiphyte, hanging from a variety of tree species in open or shaded maritime forests.

The lichen is characterized by its pendulous brown thallus with spiral-arranged white pores (pseudocyphellae) on its surface, extending 4–12 cm (1+9⁄16–4+3⁄4 in) in length.

Displaying colors ranging from pale to dark brown, the exterior cortex can either be dull or exhibit a subtle sheen, frequently appearing pruinose, or powdery, in the norstictic acid chemotype.

[1][6] Found along the west coast of North America, Sulcaria spiralifera is a seldom seen yet occasionally locally abundant species native to regions spanning from northern California to Washington.

[6][3] Its preferred habitats include open or shaded maritime forests, where it is found growing on lodgepole pines (Pinus contorta), Sitka spruces (Picea sitchensis), and an array of shrubs and deciduous trees.

[6] The species thrives in a climate characterized by cool rainy winters and mild dry summers, where fog plays a significant role in its moisture requirements.

On a typical foggy day in coastal northern California forests, these lichens can receive moisture equivalent to 0.3 cm of rainfall.