Dracophyllum recurvum is a prostrate to semi-erect shrub which grows up to one metre high at lower altitudes, or down to less than five centimetres at higher altitudes.

Dracophyllum recurvum is found in central and eastern mountains of the North Island in subalpine to high-alpine regions, from open subalpine scrub through to higher rocky areas. It has thin, recurved leaves 10-40 mm in length and approximately 2 mm wide. They are dark green at lower altitudes and are grey-green to reddish-brown at higher altitudes. The 6mm long flowers are white and occur as stout spikes during January and February. D. recurvum is one of the few plant species that can survive the extreme conditions due to its wide-spreading root system, which firmly anchors the plant to the thin soil and this stops erosion.