Leucospermum oleifolium is a rounded to erect shrub of 1 m high and 1,5 m wide when mature. The habitat is the sandstone mountainous area between Paarl and Caledon where they occur in dense stands. These plants withstand drought well, partly by covering the ground comprehensively together with other fynbos and keeping it cool. They are named for this region, the Overberg pincushion.

The leaves are broad, slightly obovate with marked yellowish tips or up to five apical teeth. They are glabrous or sometimes finely hairy, especially on the edges. Flowerheads are produced in clusters, each being only a little more than 1 cm across. The involucre comprising several rows of bracts is short, the inner flowerhead parts, especially the long styles are exposed conspicuously. The involucral bracts are short, pale brown and hairy.

The young flowers are pale yellow to greenish, becoming orange as they mature and ending up bright red before they dry out. All these colours can be observed on a flowering L. oleifolium shrub from August to December.

The pollination duties are shared widely among sunbirds, Cape sugarbirds and other feathered feasters, some of whom also consider as food the variety of insects that help them in performing this function (www.plantzafrica.com).