This short-lived perennial is widely scattered across North America, except for more interior regions and southeastern states (K, W). In Ky. it is known only from the southern Bluegrass and its transitions to the Knobs, with a few 1900-1950 colls. (KY-Agr.; Wharton & Barbour 1991) plus a recent coll. of JC from the grassland remnants of MADI along Rt. 1986. After 2000, the species has become widely grown for culinary use, and escapes can be expected. Caruso et al. (2018) have summarized its current economic status as follows: "Traditionally harvested as a spontaneous herb, today it is a crop species of increasing importance after the diffusion of the ready-to-use salads in the vegetable retail markets. Besides relevance as a food crop, its consumption is prompted by consideration in the traditional medicine of several peoples in the native areas of the Mediterranean and western Asia based on recognized health beneficial effects." The closely related annual or short-lived perennial, D. muralis (L.) DC., may also be expected, and can be hard to distinguish (FNA 7); it has been reported from HANC (JEF).