[2][3] This plant is a hairy annual herb producing a stiff stem up to 90 cm (35 in) tall.

Because of this research is being conducted by the Center of Biodiversity focusing on the genetic diversity and disturbances of the Agalinis auriculata to figure more about its distribution and habitats.

In cultivation the plant was able to parasitize Helianthus occidentalis (western sunflower) and Rudbeckia fulgida (showy black-eyed Susan) and it was observed to connect to a grass, possibly Poa compressa (Kentucky bluegrass), in the field.

The plant can colonize mounds of earth that have been turned over by pocket gophers (Geomys bursarius).

[2] It is an endangered species in Minnesota where historical records report that it was found growing in wet meadows in the lower Mississippi valley but much of its natural habitat has been destroyed especially around the Twin Cities.