This low sprawling shrub occurs in diverse habitats across its broad northern range, including wetlands (F, Cr, W). In Ky. it occurs mostly in subxeric to mesic calcareous woods along the central Kentucky Rv. Palisades or nearby, and more locally in hills along the upper Cumberland Rv. Reported colls. from BUTL (CW) and WARR (Duncan 1967) have not yet been located and verified; see also notes under flava. A coll. from HART (R. Seymour, pers. comm.) has relatively large reddish flowers, and might be escaped from cultivation. Some colls. at Ky. have been mislaid since the 1990s, but most were referable to var. dioica, which is relatively glabrous and has a largely northeastern range. The species varies much across its range in color and size of flowers, as well as in pubescence patterns; see notes under var. glaucescens. However, most plants in Ky. have relative small pale greenish to yellowish flowers.