This short-lived, low, hairy perennial is adapted to dry gravelly or rocky calcareous soils in open areas, on hillsides or slopes, in brushlands or cedar woodlands.
Ancient Europeans believed that the odor of this genus repelled fleas, thus the name fleabane. This seems to have no basis.
The Lakota Indians used the ray type flowers to mix with buffalo brains, spleen and gall bladder, then rubbed the mixture on the buffalo hides to bleach them.
Fair browse value to deer and antelope, poor value to livestock.
