Olearia virgata is a shrub or small tree up to 6m tall. It can have a single trunk (20cm diameter) or can be branched from the ground as in the photo below.

The oval pale green leaves are small up to 10mm x 2.5 mm (might be larger) and they taper gradually to the stalk. The underside of the leaves is covered with white to buff tomentum. Flowering occurs spring to summer. The 6mm white flowers are on short stalks and may be in clusters or singular. Olearia virgata is endemic to the North, South and Stewart Islands. In the North Island, they are present from Waikato and the Volcanic Plateau south to Wellington. It is present on Mt Egmont/Taranaki. In the South Island, it is present from Nelson to North Westland and North Canterbury. Its habitat is bogs, wetlands, valley floors to subalpine shrubland.