Seeds a perennial herb producing an erect, unbranching stem up to 60 centimeters tall. The basal leaf is 5 to 6 inches long and withers by flowering.
The inflorescence is a loose cluster of 1 to 5 erect, bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three petals 1 to 4 centimeters long which are white, pinkish, or dull blue in color and spotted with yellow and dark red or black and hairy at the bases. These color patterns vary widely among different regional and local populations. Hardy to zones 6a-8b