Melaleuca incana subsp.
incana is a medium to tall shrub with weeping branches.
It grows to a height of about 3 metres (10 ft) and has rough, grey bark.
The leaves are in opposite pairs, sometimes rings of three, curved and crowded along the branchlets, 3.5–17 millimetres (0.1–0.7 in) long and 0.5–3.5 millimetres (0.02–0.1 in) wide, linear or very narrow elliptic in shape and tapering to a point.
The leaves and young branches are covered with fine, soft hairs giving the foliage a grey appearance.

The flowers are arranged in spikes, usually on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering.
Each spike has between 6 and 55 individual flowers and is up to 30 millimetres (1 in) long and 15 millimetres (0.6 in) wide, white, creamy white or yellow.
The petals are 0.7–2.0 millimetres (0.03–0.08 in) long and fall off as the flower ages.
The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle containing between 3 and 11 stamens.
Flowering mainly occurs in August to September and is followed by woody capsules 1.5–4 millimetres (0.06–0.2 in) long in cylinder-shaped clusters up to 30 millimetres (1 in) long.
Melaleuca incana subsp. incana is a medium to tall shrub with weeping branches. It grows to a height of about 3 metres (10 ft) and has rough, grey bark. The leaves are in opposite pairs, sometimes rings of three, curved and crowded along the branchlets, 3.5–17 millimetres (0.1–0.7 in) long and 0.5–3.5 millimetres (0.02–0.1 in) wide, linear or very narrow elliptic in shape and tapering to a point. The leaves and young branches are covered with fine, soft hairs giving the foliage a grey appearance.
The flowers are arranged in spikes, usually on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. Each spike has between 6 and 55 individual flowers and is up to 30 millimetres (1 in) long and 15 millimetres (0.6 in) wide, white, creamy white or yellow. The petals are 0.7–2.0 millimetres (0.03–0.08 in) long and fall off as the flower ages. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle containing between 3 and 11 stamens. Flowering mainly occurs in August to September and is followed by woody capsules 1.5–4 millimetres (0.06–0.2 in) long in cylinder-shaped clusters up to 30 millimetres (1 in) long.
Melaleuca incana subsp. incana