Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across the northern U.S. and Canada to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Escaping from cultivation to lawns, roadsides, and other open, disturbed areas.

Flowers: May July

Origin: Introduced from Eurasia

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Ants, bees, flies, butterflies, beetles, wasps

Perennial herbs from rhizomes, with numerous, erect, unbranched stems 3-12 dm. tall, densely puberulent at least in the inflorescence, with short, leafy offshoots growing from the base later in the season.

Leaves in whorls of 6-8, sometimes up to 12, narrowly linear, sessile, often finely hairy, 1-3 cm. long, sharp pointed, the margins revolute.

Flowers numerous in terminal, often branched panicles; calyx obsolete; corolla rotate, bright yellow, 2-4 mm. wide, the 4 lobes much longer than the tube; ovary 2-celled, inferior.

Fruit dry, 1-1.5 mm. high, glabrous.