It is native to the western United States, particularly the Great Basin and adjacent high mountain ranges, including the Sierra Nevada.

It has been noted to be the dominant species in dry areas on the alpine grassland steppe in the White Mountains of California.

[3] Trifolium andersonii is a perennial herb growing in a tuft or low cushion, and lacking a stem.

The long-haired or woolly, silvery-gray leaves have 3 to 7 leaflets each up to 2 centimeters long.

Each flower has a calyx of sepals with narrow, densely hairy lobes.