This is widespread in temperate regions east of the Mississippi, usually in mesic woods on moderately fertile soils. Although widely scattered within suitable habitat, the species is rarely abundant. Unusually dense populations were noted recently in deer-browsed areas near the mouth of Lower Howards Cr. in CLAR, and on Vinegar Ridge off Poteet Road in HART. The plant became famous in the 19th Century for various medicinal uses, and there has been some recent revival of interest in its unusual chemistry, including varied flavonoids and saponins (Joshi et al. 1992, Stevens et al. 1999). Roots and leaves have a peculiar bitter lemony flavor. The common name "horsebalm", which has also been applied to species of Monarda, suggests that horses in the woods occasionally relished this plant, but there appears to be no published account of such interaction. Morevoer, Hilty (2017) stated: "White-tailed Deer and other mammalian herbivores usually avoid this plant as a food source". Another common names have been "stoneroot" and "richweed"; the latter has also been applied to Pilea pumila and Ageratina altissima, more abundant species that often associate with Collinsonia in eutrophic woodland.