Pyramidal bugle is a perennial, herbaceous plant growing from about 5 to 20 cm (2 to 8 in) tall.

The stiff upright hairy stem is square and bears simple leaves growing in opposite pairs.

The bracts gradually get smaller towards the tip of the inflorescence, are always longer than the flowers and the upper ones are often tinged purple.

The calyx of each flower is five-lobed, the bluish-violet corolla has a long tube and is fused, with two lips.

The bracts in the inflorescence shelter the flowers from rain, and their violet colour enhances the signal effect for pollinators.

The pyramid bugle, like many Ajuga species,[6][7][8] is claimed to hold medicinal properties and has been used for wound treatment and for metabolic disorders.