This aggressive perennial is found in all manner of habitas ranging from wet to dry and praires to savannas. It has hairless leaves, and it is the earliest goldrenrod to bloom in the prairies. The flowers are plume like and last for well over a month. It is asoicated with Allium cernuum, Liatris aspera, and Sporobolus heterolepis. It attracts a variety of pollinators and birds.