The plant was discovered in 1966 near Last Chance Creek south of the Fremont Junction in Utah. Today there are 15 known occurrences in Sevier, Wayne, and Emery Counties for a total of about 6000 plants. Some occurrences are in the San Rafael Swell and there is one in Capitol Reef National Park. The plants occur in sparsely vegetated openings in pinyon-juniper woodland habitat. They are generally restricted to pockets of shale lens soils surrounded by less hospitable soil types. The shale soil is derived from the Mancos Formation and is silty and alkaline. Other plants in the habitat include blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), black sagebrush (Artemisia nova), shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), and snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae). Other rare plants in the area include Despain's pincushion cactus (Pediocactus despainii), Wright's fishhook cactus (Sclerocactus wrightiae), and Barneby reed-mustard (Schoenocrambe barnebyi).