Helichrysum patulum has alternate, fiddle-shaped or obovate leaves with wavy and irregularly serrated margins that are rolled under. The leaves are sessile and lobed or eared at the base, clasping the stem. There is a velvety covering on the upper surface of the grey-green leaves and a dense, woolly or felted one on the lower whitish surface. The foliage is pleasantly aromatic.
The stems are soft, whitish and woolly (Manning, 2007; Bean and Johns, 2005; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist).