It is native to the east-central United States where it ranges from southern Illinois to western North Carolina and Virginia.

The large yellow and white or pinkish[6] flowers bloom in April through June.

It is now considered historic in North Carolina and it is listed as an endangered species in Illinois and critically imperiled in Alabama.

[6] Threats to the species include habitat destruction and fragmentation, logging and other mechanisms that eliminate the shady canopy, overgrazing, trampling, recreational activity, and pollution.

It is also threatened by introduced species of plants such as Lonicera japonica, Dioscorea oppositifolia and Microstegium vimineum.