It is native to Washington and Oregon in the United States, where it grows in the coastal mountain ranges, including those on the Olympic Peninsula.

[4] This plant has a basal clump of leaves with dimensions up to 30 by 7 centimetres (11.8 in × 2.8 in) and smooth to wavy or somewhat toothed edges.

Associated plants include Alnus rubra, Filipendula occidentalis, Rubus parviflorus, Rubus spectabilis, Saxifraga occidentalis, Cascadia nuttallii, Saxifraga mertensiana, and Mimulus guttatus, though it often grows on slopes with few other plants around.

Associated species at higher elevations include Abies amabilis, Tsuga heterophylla, Cladothamnus sp., and Synthyris schizantha.

Threats include increased flooding caused by grazing and logging upstream.