[2] D. exaltatum is a perennial herb producing a stem up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) tall from a long, thick taproot.

The base of the stem may have a reddish tinge and it is free of leaves by the time the plant blooms.

Associated plant species include upland boneset (Eupatorium sessilifolium) and staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) in Maryland; barren strawberry (Waldsteinia fragarioides), fourleaf milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia), eastern leatherwood (Dirca palustris), and prairie trillium (Trillium recurvatum) in Missouri; upland bentgrass (Agrostis perennans), orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata), mountain oatgrass (Danthonia compressa), Philadelphia lily (Lilium philadelphicum), timothy-grass (Phleum pratense), three-toothed cinquefoil (Sibbaldiopsis tridentata), and self-heal (Prunella vulgaris) in North Carolina; eastern green violet (Hybanthus concolor), American bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia), and yellow horse gentian (Triosteum angustifolium) in Pennsylvania; and barrelhead gayfeather (Liatris cylindracea), Chinese bushclover (Lespedeza cuneata), smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve), eastern smooth beardtongue (Penstemon laevigatus), downy skullcap (Scutellaria incana), and hoary puccoon (Lithospermum canescens) in Tennessee.

[3] This species can be found in many places across the eastern half of the United States and there are over 100 occurrences; however, most populations are small, with no more than 50 individuals.

While the plant can tolerate some disturbance, as evidenced by its ability to thrive along roadsides, it cannot withstand habitat destruction.

[2] Management activities for the conservation of D. exaltatum include controlled burns and other vegetation-clearing methods.