[2][3] The specific epithet, "rupestre", is derived from Latin, and pertains to the plant growing among rocks.

[citation needed] Dracocephalum rupestre is a rhizomatous herb having numerous purplish, upwards-rising and unbranching stems (15–42 cm) scantily covered in backward-pointing hairs.

[4] The habitats of Dracocephalum rupestre are mountain meadows and slopes, or areas of thinning forest where more sun reaches the surface, at elevations between 700 and 3100 meters.

[4] They are native to China; occurring in Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Qinghai, and Shanxi provinces.

[4][5] People in Hebei and Shanxi have used Dracocephalum rupestre as a tea substitute, and in gardens for their showy flowers.