A Eurasian species locally common along forested trails and roadsides, clearings, shores, lawns, old gardens; more often in weedy places than undisturbed forests. First collected in 1883 in Ingham Co.

A quite small flowered species, not nearly as showy as M. scorpioides or M. sylvatica. Herbarium specimens of M. sylvatica with shriveled or immature corollas are easily misidentified as M. arvensis. One should look for corollas displaying a well-pressed limb to be sure of having this small-flowered species. White-flowered plants may be locally common with blue-flowered ones.