Dracophyllum uniflorum is an erect, woody-stemmed, 1m tall, summer-flowering shrub with stout needle-like leaves. It is very common throughout the low alpine regions of New Zealand from the mid-North Island southwards. Its habitat is alpine shrub, herbfields and grasslands. Flowers appear January-March.

It is called turpentine bush not because it has turpentines present but because of the ease with which this plant will burn even when green.