Sophora fulvida is a naturally uncommon coastal species that grows naturally on the west coast of the upper North Island from near Mt Karioi on the south side of Raglan Harbour to Maunganui Bluff in Northland. It can also be found on the east coast near Whangarei. Its most substantial populations are in the Waitakere Ranges. It is most commonly found on or near volcanic cliffs and rocky ground.

Sophora fulvida is a small-leaved kowhai with brownish tomentum on leaf stems. The matte, greyish-green leaves are up to 14 cm long and have a large number of leaflet pairs (<50). A distinguishing feature of the leaflets is that their undersides are covered in white to yellow, or reddish-brown hairs, which form a tuff at the attachment point. In late spring/early summer, large golden yellow tubular flowers >5 cm long develop. The fruits are dry pods up to 19 cm long. Sophora fulvida has an upright tidy symmetrical form. It can be semi-deciduous depending on the severity of winter and it can grow up to 10 m tall but usually, it is about 4 m tall. Sophora fulvida will hybridise with Sophora microphylla where their distributions meet.