The leaves are in opposite pairs, 5–10 centimetres (2–4 in) long and broad, three- to five-lobed, the lobes with a serrated margin, and the leaf surface has a fuzzy texture.

The flowers are white with five small petals, produced in terminal cymes 4–8 cm (1+1⁄2–3 in) in diameter.

[4] It is found in the US states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, Vermont,[5] Illinois, Wisconsin, and Arkansas.

Landscape architects and designers have often recommended it for shady, dry locations for several decades, but it is only sold at a few very large, diverse nurseries or specialty or native plant nurseries and is not generally well known in the trade or with homeowners.

Its native habitats include thickets, mixed woods, bluffs, and ravines.