[3] Plants grow 7 to 60 cm (2+3⁄4 to 23+1⁄2 inches) tall, from a caudex (woody-like perennial base), flowering spring to mid summer but often found flowering till late summer.

The inflorescence have 3 leaf-like bracts similar in appearance to the basal leaves but simple and greatly reduced in size, pinnatifid in shape.

The achenes are winged with no hairs and have 0.8–1.5-millimetre (0.031–0.059-inch) long beaks that are curved or recurved.

Anemonastrum narcissiflorum is native to north western North America and Eurasia where it can be found growing in high mountain alpine grasslands, in thickets, grassy meadows with moist soils, tundra, open woods, along roadsides and in pastures.

This species is very variable and at least 12 varieties are generally recognized with even more proposed by other authorities.