Oak and jack pine savannas, etc., doing well after fire; banks, often moist, as above fens, lakes, and other wet areas; meadows, openings in deciduous forests.

The stems often tend to be even more pubescent at the base than in E. philadelphicus. Heads average fewer than in E. philadelphicus, and are quite showy. The plants are stoloniferous and colonial, while E. philadelphicus is clumping.