This globally rare species is known only from the southern Blue Ridge or nearby, in N.Car., S.Car. and Ga., plus disjunct localities in s. Ill., w. Ky. and w. Tenn., in Benton Co. and Stewart Co. near the Ky. line (K). It appears to be threatened, endangered or locally extinct in most of its range, especially to the west (NS); it may only be secure in a few mountainous counties south of the Asheville Basin (W). W noted that populations of young or suppressed plants can develop in woodlands, but they need canopy gaps to flower, then growing up to 2 m tall with a robust terminal panicle. Despite recent searching, the only Ky. records are colls. of R. Athey from CALL and MARS (WKY, EKY) made during the 1970s.