Verbena hastata is a tall plant reaching over 6 feet in height. The alternate leaves are dentate. The multiple flowering spikes are dense with overlapping purple flowers. The fruit consists of four nutlets in a persistant calyx. With the large numbers of flowers per flower spike, a very large number of nutlets is produced. Compared to Verbena macdougalii, a very similar species, the flower spikes of Verbena hastata are much slimmer and the stem hairs of V. hastata are appressed to ascending compared to the spreading stem hairs of V. macdougalii. Verbena hastata is found in moist swales at middle elevation.