Hieracium scabrum is an herb up to 60 cm (2.0 ft) tall with many hairs so that it feels rough to the touch.

[5] Hieracium scabrum is native to the eastern and central United States and Canada from Nova Scotia west to Ontario, Minnesota, and Kansas south as far as Georgia and Oklahoma.

[7] Little is known about floral-faunal relationships involving Hieracium scabrum, but the flower heads are likely pollinated by long-tongued bees and other insects.

The seeds and leaves of Hieracium scabrum are known to be eaten by wild turkey and ruffed grouse.

The foliage is occasionally browsed by eastern cottontails and white-tailed deer, but is not a preferred food source due to its hairiness and it containing an unpalatable bitter white latex.