Lobelia pinifolia is a slender shrublet with small, narrow, sessile leaves. They overlap densely, ascending along the erect stems.

The small, hairy flowers grow solitary. Three prominent lobes occur on the lower lip of the corolla. The upper lip is small, consisting of two erect, narrow and sharply pointed lobes. The flower colour is blue and variable. The male flower parts mature first, avoiding self-pollination. Flowering happens in summer to mid-autumn. The fruit is an ovoid capsule.

The species distribution is in the southwestern Cape. The habitat is rocky, sandstone flats and slopes in fynbos.

The roots of L. pinifolia have been used in traditional medicine (Manning, 2009; www.plantzafrica.com).