Mid to proximal stems glabrous or sparsely hairy. Rays florets 7–15 (–18). 2n = 18.

Flowering Aug–Oct. Old fields, pastures, disturbed ground, roadsides and open woods; 0–1000+ m; Man. , Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) , N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que.; Conn., Del., Ill., Ind., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Pa., R.I., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.; introduced in Europe.

Variety canadensis is cultivated and introduced in western states and in Europe. Typical var. canadensis is readily recognized; more hairy-stemmed plants are similar to var. hargeri, which usually has fewer disc florets. In eastern Canada and northern New England, the variety can be difficult to separate from narrow-leaved forms of S. lepida var. fallax if the array of the latter is not very leafy.