It is native to western North America from Alaska and Alberta to California and New Mexico, where it grows in many types of moist, rocky mountain habitat, such as gravel beds and sandy meadows.

In general, this is a petite perennial herb growing from a taproot and caudex unit, and producing a basal rosette of several leaves 2 to 8 centimeters long.

The inflorescence is usually made up of a few very short stems each bearing one or more flowers which appear to be sitting on or within the basal leaf rosette.

Each flower has 5 to 9 white, pink or red petals which may or may not have dark veining or striping.

Lewisia pygmaea grows in open areas with short turf and in gravelly or rocky soils.