It is native to western North America from British Columbia to northern Mexico to the Rocky Mountains, where it grows in forests, often in the understory.

Paxistima myrsinites is a low prostrate or spreading evergreen shrub growing to a meter in maximum height.

The stems have many four-angled branches lined with oppositely arranged oval leaves roughly 1 to 3 centimeters long.

The small flat flower has four dark red oval petals about a millimeter long.

[3] Paxistima myrsinites has been utilized by Native American groups for various medicinal and ceremonial uses.