[11] Numerous common names are attached to this plant, including:[5][6][12] The species is native to central and eastern Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and northwestern China.

[14] It can be found along roadsides and other disturbed areas, as well as open woodlands, in the northern United States and Canada.

[16][17] Numerous cultivars have been selected, varying in flower colour from bright red to orange-red, pink or white.

It grows best in partial to full sun and in any good well-drained soil, if provided with a constant moisture supply.

It was voted the county flower of Bristol in 2002, following a poll by the wild flora conservation charity Plantlife.