Olearia pachyphylla is a critically endangered coastal shrub endemic to the northern North Island, from the Coromandel Peninsula to East Cape.

Olearia pachyphylla has spreading branches and grows up to 3m tall. It has white flowers during January/April. It was known from rock outcrops near the summit of the main range dividing Coromandel Township from Whangapoua Harbour, and more recently (1992) it has been collected from bluffs near Cook’s Beach. The loss of habitats through coastal development, weed encroachment and goats are believed to be the main reason for this species extinction at one of its eastern Bay of Plenty sites. Description from: Allan (1961) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 1. Shrub up to 3 m. tall; branchlets stout, grooved, with appressed brownish tomentum when young. Lvs 7-13 × 5-6·5 cm., on stout grooved petioles up to 4 mm. long; somewhat obliquely ovate to ovate-oblong, coriac., glab. above when mature, clad in dense appressed silvery to brownish tomentum below; margins entire, undulate. Capitula ∞, up to 2 cm. long, in corymbs; phyll. 35-40 in c. 10 series, densely imbricate, woolly-tomentose on the back, lowermost minute, upper c. 4 mm. long; florets 7-10. Pappus-hairs unequal, rather rigid, thickened and fimbriate at tips; achenes striate, silky-pubescent.