Ozothamnus leptophyllus is a common very variable evergreen New Zealand native shrub in coastal areas, especially sand dunes. It is common in eastern areas of the North Island from North Cape southwards and is common in Wairoa, Wairarapa, Wellington, Marlborough Sounds and Central Otago. It is also found on Stewart and the Auckland Islands.

It is a bushy shrub (>2m) with small silver-green leaves with fine silver hair beneath. The stems are silver/white in colour. It has an attractive silver-grey appearance and from July to August it flowers in profusion with clusters of tiny cream daisy (wheel-shaped) flowers followed by down-covered seed heads. The fruits are small, dry, indehiscent one-seeded fruit with a thin wall. The seeds are dispersed by the wind. The tiny daisy seeds germinate and establish themselves easily on bare soils and in an overgrazed pasture. Ozothamnus leptophyllus is fast-growing, reaching its maximum height of 2 metres in 10–15 years. Unless their understorey plants are heavily grazed, tauhinu shrublands are usually overtopped by taller shrubs and trees, and develop into the coastal broadleaved scrub. Ozothamnus leptophyllus prefers a sunny location and will tolerate temperatures down to -12.2ºC. A crude extract from Ozothamnus leptophyllus was shown to possess antifungal activity. Flavonoids, mainly chalcones in the leaf exudate, were isolated, some of which possessed antiviral as well as antifungal activity. It is listed NZ Common Weeds in Colour by E.A. Uprichard.