It usually grows in a matted or tufted habit on the ground and lower trunks of trees, and exhibits a preference for decaying wood and deep shade.

On casual observance, its leaf arrangement and growth habit resemble that of a large moss.

Trichocolea mollissima closely resembles another Trichocoleaceae species found in southern Australia, T. rigida.

Another distinction between the two species is T. rigid as comparative scarcity and preference for drier, sclerophyll habitats.

[4] The extent of T. mollissimas distribution and its prevalence throughout forests within its range suggest that its future as a species is secure.