This northeastern species of bogs and meadows on wet acid soils extends south along the Cumberland Plateau, higher Appalachian Mountains, and Atlantic Coastal Plain (K). E. virginicum has long-creeping rhizomes, and is abundant further north. However, it has virtually disappeared from Ky. There are old reports from the state by Rafinesque (McMurtrie 1819), Riddell (1835) and Gleason (1952). A coll. from "Rockdale" (near Ashland in BOYD) was made by R. Runyon in 1928 (US). The species was rediscovered in the 1990s at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (HARL) by A. Risk; near Laurel Lake (LAUR) by JC and Abbott et al. (2004); and at the Hog Hollow seeps (BATH) by A. Risk.