This is widespread across eastern North America, but uncommon to absent in regions with acid infertile soils, such the southern Cumberland Plateau (K). It occasionally appears in planted urban woodlands and shrubberies, presumably dispersed by birds. S. hispida has been combined with the strictly southern S. tamnoides L. in some recent treatments (Wilbur 1967, FNA 26, W). S. hispida differs in its relatively thin and large, "regularly ovate to elliptic or rounded" leaves with 5-7 main veins (versus narrowly to broadly ovate, some or all panduriform, with 3-5 veins). Variety status may be appropriate, with tamnoides included under hispida var. australis (Small) Coker, but there have been nomenclatural problems (Wilbur 2003). Vegetative characters can be used to guide identification. Both hispida and tamnoides have terete or finely ridged stems, with prickles concentrated along the basal meter or so, where they are dense, slender, with varied sizes, and blackish. Leaves dry "olive-gray" to blackish; margins are thin with dense minute projections (ca. 2-4 per mm).