This rare plant is found only in cool sandstone rock shelters, on the moist sandy cave floors behind the drip line.

This is a petite perennial herb forming tufts of stems from threadlike taproots.

Threats to this species include damage to its habitat, which may occur during recreational use such as camping and rappelling, or during logging.

The rock shelter habitat of the plant is cool, humid, and dark; removal of surrounding trees lets light in and makes it warmer and drier.

[2] The plant was first described to science in 1979 as Arenaria cumberlandensis when specimens once thought to be Geocarpon groenlandicum did not fit its description, or that of any known species.