It has a hairy stem, simple or branched near the base, where the leaves are essentially located towards the bottom of the plant.

[10][11] It is native to northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Sonora, Tamaulipas) and the southern and central United States from Arizona east to Florida and the Carolinas and north as far as Nebraska.

[citation needed] The plant generally lives in the sandy plains and deserts of the south of the North American continent.

It can also grow on vacant lots in urban areas, but generally below 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) above sea level.

Its vibrantly colored flowers can be seen carpeting fields and the sides of highways for miles in the summer to late fall.