Flowering stems, appearing in spring, are up to 2 feet tall. This plant is native to the southeastern piedmont, grows in clumps, and is found in open woodlands and along roadsides throughout the southeast. It is good for rock gardens and in the front of beds.

This plant was selected as the 2009 NC Wildflower of the Year , a program managed by the North Carolina Botanical Garden with some financial support from the Garden Club of North Carolina.

Host plant for the larvae of the Spring Azure Butterfly, and potentially other species as well.