It is native to South Africa and Eswatini, where it may be found on the fringes of mountain mist-belt forests, in wooded ravines, and in low-altitude evergreen forests.

Young leaves are a conspicuous bronzy reddish-brown, with velvet-like hairs, but soon change, becoming pale and glabrous on the undersides, with very prominent veins, and remaining glossy green above.

[1][2] Flowers: Handsome flowers, nearly 4 cm in diameter, in loose axillary or terminal heads, are white tinged, becoming purple near the base, and closely resemble Hamamelis in shape.

Fruit: Small, dark, 2-valved capsules that appear 4-valved at the apex are borne from February to May, but may be much later.

[2] Trichocladus is derived from the Greek terms trichos (τριχός; gen. 'hair') and klados (κλάδος; 'branch') and means approximately 'hairy-branched'.