Xylaria longipes was first described by the German botanist and mycologist Theodor Rudolph Joseph Nitschke in the first volume of his Pyrenomycetes Germanici, published in 1867.

The specific name is in reference to the long stem, which is one of the distinguishing features in contrast to Xylaria polymorpha (dead man's fingers).

[9] X. longipes differs from the similar Xylaria polymorpha (dead man's fingers) by being somewhat more slender,[8] by having a more distinct stalk,[10] and by its smaller spores.

[10] It is a saprotroph, growing directly from dead wood from hardwoods,[9] including both fallen branches and stumps.

[10] Xylaria longipes is inedible,[8] but a 2008 study concluded that the species could improve wood for the purposes of making violins.