Helichrysum zeyheri, in Afrikaans the vaalbergkaroo (grey mountain Karoo), is a single-stemmed, much-branched shrublet growing thin and slender stems to 60 cm. It may be dense low down, but the stems are often sparse and wand-like higher up. This plant does not sprout after fire, regrows from seed.

The species distribution includes parts of Namaqualand and the southern inland regions from Tulbagh to the Karoo, the Little Karoo and the Eastern Cape, but also further to the north and into some neighbouring countries like Namibia, Lesotho and Botswana.

The plant may be prolific in deep loam or sandy soil in flats and lowlands, found in several habitats. It is well browsed (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Shearing and Van Heerden, 2008; http://keys.lucidcentral.org).