It has ferny, toothed-leaf foliage; the unusual crimson, spherical flower clusters rise well above the leaves on thin stems.

[6] The delar cultivar widely grown in North America does not grow in damp or flooding areas,[3][6] and needs over 14 inches (36 cm) of precipitation per year.

In a greenhouse experiment, germination peaked when seeds were set 6 cm (2.5 inch) deep.

[3] Young burnet leaves are used as an ingredient in salads, dressings, sauces,[11] summer drinks,[7] and in claret.

[6] It has a flavor described as "mildly cucumber, a bit tart, a little hot"[11] and is considered interchangeable with mint leaves in some recipes, depending on the intended effect.

[4] Salad burnet was called a favorite herb by Francis Bacon, was brought to the New World with the first English colonists, and was given special mention by Thomas Jefferson.

[15] The unusual crimson, ball-shaped blooms are carried aloft on tall, thin stems, well above the ferny, toothed-leaf foliage.

The flowers provide nectar and pollen, and attract bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators and beneficial insects.

[7] It is classified as a moderate honeybee food in New Zealand, and as a good nectar producer in the United States.

[5] Salad burnet is good forage for wildlife and livestock, partly because it stays green for so long.

It is planted on rangelands in western North America, including in pinyon-juniper woodlands, ponderosa pine forests, dry quaking aspen parklands, mountain grasslands, chaparral, desert and mountain shrublands, and sagebrush steppe.

After the first year, it is grazed roughly every 35 days, or whenever it is 12 inches (30 cm) tall, until it is half that height.