Helodeaster helenae is a rhizomatous perennial herb, usually branched at the base, with scapes (5.5–)10–35 cm long. The scapes are moderately to densely hirsute and have few to numerous scattered, subsessile, globose glands, especially near the base of the head, becoming glabrate with age. Leaves occur in a basal rosette or are distributed along 3–12 cm of the ascending stem. These leaves are spatulate to oblong, rarely obovate, 1.2–3.5(–5.4) cm long and 0.3–1.3 cm wide, sparsely to moderately hirsute, especially on the upper surface, margins, and veins, and bear few to numerous scattered, subsessile, globose glands. Leaves are sometimes villous, serrate in the upper half, sessile, and clasping the stem. Each scape bears 2–9 bracts that become progressively larger and more leaf-like toward the base. Flower heads are solitary, (8–)10–14(–16) mm in diameter, and disciform. Involucral bracts are 3.5–7.4 mm long, sometimes purple-tinged at the apex, and sparsely to moderately hirsute. Ray florets are inconspicuous and disk-like, pistillate, with white or sometimes purple-tinged rays that are deeply and asymmetrically 2–4-lobed, 0.5–1 mm long, and bear scattered, subsessile, globose glands, sometimes with a few long hairs. Disk florets are apparently perfect, with yellow, 4-lobed corollas 1.7–2.9 mm long and scattered, subsessile, globose glands. Fruits are somewhat compressed achenes, 1.3–2.5 mm long, tapering to the apex, beakless but with a conspicuous cartilaginous ring at maturity, and usually bearing scattered subsessile globose glands near the apex. It occurs in bogs and summit areas between 1,220–1,554 meters.