Hairy Skullcap takes its name from the fine hairs covering its leaves, stems, and flowers, though the density of that covering varies noticeably across its range through the central and eastern United States. Growing up to 2.5 feet tall, it produces its two-lipped, hooded blooms in racemes through summer, each flower shaped in the distinctive helmet form characteristic of the Scutellaria genus. The fruit is a two-parted capsule containing four small nutlets.

In the garden it belongs in partial shade, planted into rocky or sandy soil with decent organic content in the manner of a woodland floor. Despite being frequently found along stream edges in nature, it needs well-drained conditions and has no tolerance for standing water. Small groupings in a woodland border or on a slope suit it well. Deer and rabbits leave it alone owing to the bitter taste of the foliage, and it is essentially free of serious pest and disease problems, making it a genuinely low-maintenance choice for naturalistic plantings in zones 6 through 9.