Hakea denticulata grows as a dense woody shrub to 1–2 metres (3–7 ft) high and wide, smaller branches are hairy.

The inflorescence consists of 1, 3 or 5 creamy-yellow or orange-red flowers that appear in leaf axils in the upper branches on a stalk 2.5–5.5 mm (0.098–0.22 in) long with an offensive strong scent.

[2][3][4][5] Hakea denticulata was first formally described by Robert Brown in 1830 and published in Supplementum primum Prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae, a supplement to his 1810 work.

[6][3] Byron Lamont differentiated what was previously considered a form of Hakea prostrata and named it H. rubriflora in 1973,[7] but it was found to be synonymous with H. denticulata.

The specific epithet (denticulata) is derived from the Latin word denticulatus meaning "with small teeth"[8] referring to the leaf margins.