It is native to eastern North America where it is present from Newfoundland and Labrador in the far northeast of Canada, west to Ontario and south to Kentucky and Virginia in the United States.
The low rough aster is also present on the French overseas territory of St. Pierre and Miquelon just south of Newfoundland.
It typically grows in wet soils in a wide variety of habitats from bogs and fens to creek shores to ditches.
Its flower heads emerge in the late summer to early fall and show pale blue-violet rays with yellow centres.
[4] The low rough aster grows in wet soils in a fairly wide variety of habitat.